


The Rising Moon

by Cayenne_Avocado



Series: The Dark Kingdom [2]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: AU, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Moon Powers Varian (Disney), Sun Powers Rapunzel (Disney), Tags May Change, Varian Needs a Hug (Disney), Warnings May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-13
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:01:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 28,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23125186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cayenne_Avocado/pseuds/Cayenne_Avocado
Summary: Six months after The Dark Kingdom, Rapunzel and co are desperately searching for a way to save Varian. With tensions rising as Frederic marches closer to Selene, will they be too late?
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Series: The Dark Kingdom [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1662256
Comments: 399
Kudos: 315





	1. Attempt

**Author's Note:**

> I’m back with the sequel y’all!!! I hope everyone enjoys as much as the last one!!!

It had been six months, six long months, since they left Corona for Selene. Rapunzel hung from the ceiling, paintbrush in hand, her hair keeping her suspended and in place. She had been getting better at using her hair to its whole potential, spending most of her time either finding different ways to use it and researching the magical properties it might posses with Horace. Currently, she was taking a brief break, painting a mural on the wall of the bedroom gifted to her upon her arrival to Selene. She startled, dropping her brush, when the door slammed open. 

“Hey, Blondie, you might want to take a look at this. I think I found something that might help.” Horace called, jumping onto her bed as he waited for her to descend. Her feet planted on the bed, stumbling forward not being able to balance on the soft surface. Her cheeks flushed slightly at his hands around her waist in an attempt to steady her. Their relationship hadn’t really progressed besides the occasional peck on the cheek and holding hands from time to time. Part of her wanted to talk to him about her feelings but it had been hard. They were both extremely busy, her with trying to find a way to save Varian and him returning to all his princely duties. The other part of her felt guilty for even considering that she should deserve such a happiness when Varian was out there somewhere suffering. She still had frequent nightmares about that day, Varian being carted off, her stabbing her father, some nights she would dream of Quirin holding Varian’s lifeless body and blaming her. 

“Earth to Blondie.” Horace nudged her, tearing her from her thoughts. 

“Hmm, oh yeah, the thing. Show me, I’m listening.” She said, focusing solely on the present for the moment. 

Horace spread three scrolls out in front of them. “So, each of the brotherhood had one of these scrolls. They’ve been passed down from generation to generation.” 

She scanned the scrolls, running a hand over the picture of the moonstone. “They’re about the moonstone?” She asked. 

He nodded, moving her hand to the picture of a flower. “And the sundrop. Here’s the thing though, we’re missing a piece and their kinda written in a dead language.” 

“Another dead end then.” She sighed. 

“Not necessarily. If we find however has the final piece they might be able to translate it!” Horace explained. 

“That’s a start, I guess.” Rapunzel’s face fell. She had been hoping for more at this point, to have already had Varian back, but things had been rough. Almost immediately after they returned, her father had declared war on Selene. Horace had to take on more duties as his father went to fight, along with Hector and Adira. Quirin hadn’t been well enough to go, much to his dismay. It had been a week since the last letter from Elliott, but according to him, her father had just conquered Equis. 

“Chin up. I already talked to mom, she’s given us the okay to find the last piece.” Horace smiled, trying to lift her spirits. 

“You know where it is?” She asked, eyes lighting up briefly. 

“Kind of? It’s somewhere between here and the great tree.” He explained, giving her hand a quick squeeze. “We’re going to get him back, okay?” 

She smiled sadly, squeezing his hand back. “Shall we get Cass and Lance, then?” 

*****************

Cassandra blew a frustrating strand of hair out of her face, focusing on the spell in front of her. She could feel the familiar thrum of magic at her fingertips, her eyes turning a brighter green, and then nothing. The spell fizzled at her fingertips, the scar on her right hand hurting at the effort. She heard Matthews let out another frustrated sigh. She hated when he did that. He mumbled something in French under his breath. She hated when he did that too. If she was being honest she just pretty much hated him, but he had been the only one willing to teach her. And when she had learned he knew her mother she couldn’t pass up the opportunity. 

“Focus, Cassandra.” He huffed, clearly irritated. She could  see him pinching the bridge of his nose behind her. 

“I am.” She snapped back, running a thumb over her scar. 

“If you were focusing, the spell would be working.” He spit back, once again muttering in French. 

She was about to snap again, when a knock sounded throughout the house. “Thank the sun above.” She muttered under her breath and swung the door open, ignoring Matthews protests about interrupting her training. 

“You look like shit.” Horace said as way of greeting. 

“Always a pleasure to see you too.” She deadpanned, stepping out into the sun. 

“No seriously, do you sleep?” He asked, laugh in his voice. Her eyes narrowed. She already knew she didn’t look the greatest, dark circles under her eyes and no matter how much she trained in magic or with her sword, she just couldn’t get any sleep. Even if she did she had the strangest dreams that left her more tired than when she had gone to bed. She didn’t say anything, however, settling for rolling her eyes. 

“We have a lead.” Rapunzel said, and in all fairness the younger girl didn’t look much better than her. 

“When do we leave?” She asked, scar throbbing again. 

“As soon as you’re ready.” Rapunzel answered, only then did she notice the pack on her back and Lance standing at the end of the pathway. 

“Let me grab my things.” 

*******************

Varian turned, emptying the contents of his stomach into the bucket that had become a permanent presence in his prison cart. Blood mixed with whatever else he had managed to force down that day. He leaned his head against the cool bars of the cell, trying to steady his breathing. Just as he was catching his breath his stomach turned agin. He leaned over the bucket, trying not to focus on the concerning amounts of blood coming from within. 

“There you go. Let it all out, buddy.” Andrew said from the other side of the bars, no emotion behind the words at all. Varian shot him a glare, hating that this had more or less become a daily routine. 

“When are we getting out?” He asked between breaths, sweat making the fringe of his hair cling to his forehead. 

Andrew sighed, handing him a glass of water. “Soon.” He said simply. 

This time Varian rolled his eyes, sick of the same answer all the time. “You said that six months ago.” He didn’t have the energy to put the bite he wanted behind it. He didn’t have the energy for much these days. Most days he would be forced to get up, shackled, and drained to conquer whatever town Frederic wanted. It was a blessing and a curse that these new chains left him more or less coherent during the process. On one hand he wasn’t reduced to a lifeless rag doll he had spent most of his life being. On the other he could hear the screams, see the destruction he caused, and then he’d be dragged back to his cart, chains replaced with normal ones. The process was infinitely more draining. Instead of constant pain, he was forced to relive the worst of it everyday when the magic shackles were put in place. Some days when he felt particularly defiant or the screams became too much he would fight back. Today was one of those days, and they left him very much like this. It took quite the toll to fight against one’s very being. He was expecting a visit from Frederic any moment now. 

“You have to be patient. We’ve gotten through Equis, now the only thing standing between us and your family is the great tree. After that Selene will take care of Freddy and the princess will  _ graciously _ hand us Corona for returning you to her.” Andrew said, pulling Varian from his previous thoughts. He simply nodded, not in the mood to argue today. “Are you even sure they  _ want _ you back? I mean wouldn’t they have come for you already?” 

Varian opened his mouth to reply, closing it just as quickly. He had thought they would have come for him already, but there was no sign of his friends anywhere. A pit formed in the bottom of his stomach. What if they didn’t want him back? What if they finally saw him for the monster he really was? He closed his eyes pushing back the cruel thoughts, opening them to tell Andrew otherwise, except he wasn’t there anymore. Frederic stood in his place. 

Before he could do anything, Frederic’s hand shot out, tightening around his neck. He knew he wouldn’t kill him, he still needed him, but the thought did nothing for the panic that rose with not being able to breathe. “When will you learn? Fighting is pointless.” Frederic sneered, getting uncomfortably close to his face. He clawed at his hand, trying to get the king to let go, to no avail. He was too weak and too tired. After what felt like forever the hand retracted, leaving Varian gasping for breath on the floor. He barely registered the door swinging open. Frederic grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanking him to his feet. “You need to learn your lesson.” He sneered, breath unbearably hot on his ear. 

Varian’s eyes widened in panic, digging his heels desperately into the ground in a sad attempt at stopping Frederic. “No! Please! I’ll behave! I promise!” His cries were useless as he was dragged from his cell and thrown into a hole in the ground. He landed harshly at the bottom, the hole not being more than ten feet deep. The top was covered quickly, blocking out any light. “Please! _Let me out!_ I’m sorry!” He screamed until his throat was raw, curling in on himself and covering his ears with his hands, trying to block out the memories of the desperate screams of civilians as Frederic used him to destroy town after town. 

Tears streamed down his face, praying that Andrew was wrong and Rapunzel was out there searching for him right now. Until he eventually fell into a fitful sleep. There would be no telling how long he’d be in here,  _ no telling how long until he was saved.  _


	2. A Friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *laughs maniacally* enjoy!!!!

Edmund threw his helmet down in frustration, running a hand down his face. They had lost Equis. Their only option now was to retreat to Selene and strengthen their defenses before Corona attacked. Things would have been more simple if Quirin hadn’t given the moonstone to Varian. He had his best and brightest working daily to find a way to separate the child from the stone. Unfortunately it had been dead end after dead end. There had been breakthroughs on how to destroy the stone, but it couldn’t be done without killing Quirin’s son. He turned the bottle around in his hand, the sickly green liquid sloshing around inside. He hadn’t told anyone about it, especially not Quirin. He shouldn’t need it, it was just a safety precaution, a last ditch effort. He stuffed the bottle back into his pocket, as the flap to his tent opened. 

“If we move now we’ll have about another two months before they reach Selene.” Hector explained, seating himself across from Edmund. 

“You’re forgetting about the Great tree. We’re going to have to go around it. It’s still too unstable to go through.” Adira said, pinching the bridge of her nose. 

“Frederic is most likely going to go through it, we won’t make it back to Selene in time if we go around.” Hector argued. 

“No, but we can be ready for them on the other side of the tree. We can have our forces meet us there and the battle would be away from the city.” Adira responded. 

“That’s going to be our best option, unfortunately. We cannot afford to lose that battle, if we do Selene will be left defenseless.” Edmund decided, fingers brushing over the glass of the bottle. He prayed he wouldn’t have to use it. He would never be forgiven if he did. But being the king meant putting his people first, no matter the consequences, no matter how hard the decision. 

“Prepare the troops to move.” 

*******************

Cassandra sat with her legs crossed, hands resting on her knees, and back as straight as she could get it. She took a deep breath trying to channel her energy as Matthews had taught her. She could feel it building, taking a chance she opened her eyes. The candle in front of her lit up, the flame an unnatural green, but a flame nonetheless. Despite the excitement she felt, she kept focused, the flame flickering every so often. 

“Whatcha doing?” Rapunzel asked, startling her out of her concentration, the flame flickering out for good. 

Cassandra sucked in a deep breath, irritation evident on her features. “I thought you were asleep, Raps.” 

Rapunzel sat next to her, running her hands down her hair. “I couldn’t sleep.” She opened her mouth to say more, but closed it, sighing instead. Cassandra heaved her own sigh, placing her candle into her bag and uncrossing her legs. She glanced around their camp, Lance and Horace snuggled together, unintentionally having moved together. Lance had his arm draped around Horace, holding him close like a teddy bear. She snorted, she would never let them live it down. Rapunzel seemed to be on the same wavelength, pulling out her journal and painting the scene in front of them. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?” Rapunzel asked raising an eyebrow. 

Cassandra pursed her lips, fidgeting with the hem of her red tunic. Rapunzel had turned the remains of her Mother’s dress into a tunic for her which she wore with black leggings, brown boots, and a single fingerless black glove over her right hand. Her hair was slightly longer now, always tied up with a red ribbon. She turned her eyes to the stars above them. “Probably.” She answered, glancing briefly at the moon. Her scar started burning and she winced slightly, rubbing soothing circles over the fabric that covered it. 

“Does it hurt?” Rapunzel asked, eyebrows furrowed with worry. 

Cassandra immediately retracted her hand. “Sometimes.” She watched as Rapunzel’s eyes returned to her journal, paintbrush hesitating over the page, jaw working like she was getting ready to say something. Cassandra interrupted her. “I swear, if you apologize again, I will kick you in the shin and then Horace.” 

Rapunzel laughed. “What does Horace have to do with me apologizing?” 

“Nothing. I just thought I’d give you a fair warning, I’m going to kick him anyways.” Cassandra said, playfully nudging Rapunzel. Rapunzel laughed louder, covering her mouth when Lance stirred. “Well, you’re right, Raps, I should be getting some sleep. Goodnight.” 

Cassandra heard Rapunzel mutter a quick goodnight, as she continued her painting. Cassandra settled into her makeshift bed and closed her eyes. Maybe tonight she would actually get some sleep. She was wrong. 

_ Cassandra opened her eyes and she was back in the place she was becoming so familiar with. She sighed, running a frustrated hand through her hair. Nothing had changed since the last time she had been here. The world was bathed in shades of red and purple, the ground beneath her covered in stars. To her left was the moon, shattered into pieces. To her right was the sun, covered in an eclipse. She never understood it, didn’t you need the moon to eclipse the sun? She chalked it up to dream logic. Nothing ever happened here, usually she just walked around until she got tired and fell asleep. She would wake up feeling like she actually had been walking all night and that was the strangest things about her dream. Knowing she would need to have energy for their travels tomorrow, she simply sat down and examined her surroundings. Growing bored rather quickly, she changed tactics to practicing her magic. She had no candle here but perhaps she could still summon a flame. It was just a dream after all.  _

_ She adopted her previous stance, before Rapunzel had interrupted her, taking deep calming breaths. The power flowed easier here, she could feel it thrumming beneath her fingertips. She winced as her right hand started to burn at a near unbearable level, her breathing becoming more rapid. She slammed her hand down, eyes flying open as she scrambled away as the ground started to crack. Green flames shot up from the cracks, dying down after a few terrifying seconds. She noticed something or someone rise from the depths, landing gracefully in front of her. She blinked a few times, not sure if what she was seeing was right. The figure was a little girl. She rolled her shoulders and looked around as if getting her bearings. What threw Cassandra even more off was the fact that she was a transparent blue, flickering in and out every so often. She turned to Cassandra, a wide smile splitting her features.  _

_ “You’ve  ** got ** to work on your magic, really. Gothel would be  ** so ** _ _disappointed in you, Cassandra.” The girl drawled, her voice having a slight accent she couldn’t place, as she dusted off her dress._

_ Cassandra rubbed her eyes, trying to remind herself that this was just a dream, but the mention of her mother threw her off. “Who are you?”  _

_ The girl floated closer, face uncomfortably close to her own, that damned smile still in place. **“A friend. Or I’d like to be.”** _


	3. Faith

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a spoiler for this chapter, but I have never ever seen snow in my life I have no idea how that shit works, so I hope this is okay and makes somewhat sense! Enjoy!

Varian shivered at the bottom of the hole. He could tell it was nighttime by the way the temperature dropped. It also didn’t help that it was winter now, they should be getting snow soon. The cold bit through to the bone, waking him from the little sleep he had managed to get. He could see his breath coming out in white puffs in front of him. For once he was grateful for the small space, not being able to stretch out meant that he had to keep himself huddled into a ball, which meant more body heat that he was rapidly losing. He coughed violently, the cold doing his lungs no favors. He buried his head in his knees, trying to fight off the sleep that was desperately trying to claim him for fear that he might not wake up. He sucked in a deep breath, which ended up being a mistake as it sent him into another coughing fit. Finally, by some sort of miracle, the top of his makeshift cage opened, revealing Andrew. 

“You really pissed him off this time.” Andrew said, one arm resting on top of his knee while his other leg dangled into the pit. 

“Let m-me out, p-please.” Varian forced out, teeth chattering. 

“No can do, buddy. One of us has to stay on Freddy’s good side.” Andrew responded, fishing around in one of his jacket pockets. “Brought you something though.” 

Varian barely had time to react before a chunk of bread was dropped to him. It bounced off his head and into his lap. He dug into it hungrily. As soon as he had finished another piece was thrown down. He did the same, not caring if Andrew was judging him. 

“Open up.” Andrew ordered. Varian glanced up, just noticing the man had a glass of water with him. He opened his mouth, greedily taking in the little water that managed to make it into his mouth. “Well, see you in the morning.” 

Varian panicked, not wanting to be left alone with his thoughts again. “A-Andrew,  _please,_ st-stay.” He begged, shivering more now that the water had time to sink through his clothes and hair. 

“I would, really, I would, but don’t you think that’s a tad suspicious?” Andrew said, more than asked, rolling his eyes at Varian’s pleading look. “Fine. I’ll leave the top open. If anyone asks, the wind blew it off.” 

“Th-thank you.” Varian said, feeling a bit better now that he at least had some light. It helped drown out the screams he could still hear ringing in the back of his mind. He closed his eyes feeling like he might actually get a decent sleep now. 

***************** 

Rapunzel didn’t think she’d ever have a decent night’s sleep again. Every night she’d just lay awake for hours, staring at her ceiling and crying. Some nights she’d go out onto the common balcony and stare at the stars. She never looked at the moon, it reminded her too much of Varian, too much of her failures. Most nights Quirin would join her. Sometimes they would talk and drink hot cocoa, he would always ask about his son, and she would gladly tell him everything. Sometimes they wouldn’t say anything. But she always felt guilty, this wasn’t supposed to be her relationship, it was supposed to be Varian’s with  _ his _ father. She really wasn’t surprised when Quirin entered their little camp, they hadn’t made it far, just outside Selene’s walls. 

“I’m a little hurt you didn’t think to include me, Princess.” Quirin said, tone playful but genuine hurt in his eyes. 

“I’m sorry, I haven’t been in the right headspace lately.” Rapunzel responded, not even bothering to correct him when he called her princess anymore. She blinked away the tears from her eyes. Interacting with Quirin was always bittersweet for her. She buried her face in her knees, shoulders shaking with emotions. “I can’t do anything right. This is all my fault.” 

Quirin sighed beside her, draping a heavy blanket over her shoulders. “If anyone’s at fault it’s me. I forced Varian to take the stone, even if I hadn’t, I’m the one that told your father about it in the first place. I thought I was doing the right thing and now I’m going to spend the rest of my life fixing my mistakes. You haven’t made any mistakes, you did everything you could to help.” 

“You can’t change the past, so work on changing the future.” Rapunzel mumbled, repeating Hector’s words from so long ago. 

Quirin laughed beside her. “Hector tell you that?” He asked, laughing louder when she nodded. “Figures. He had his fortune told by a monkey and now he lives by the words.”

“A monkey told him that?” Rapunzel asked, confusion evident on her features. 

“Yes and no. When we were much younger, we were traveling and happened upon a fortune teller’s caravan. Hector insisted we check it out. When we got inside the woman said the monkey was going to read our fortunes, Adira refused, but Hector and I did it to see what he would come up with. There was this whole show, with flickering lights and everything. Finally, the monkey leaned into her ear and told her our fortunes, or at least that’s what she said. Hector’s convinced it was the monkey, but Adira and I know it’s a scam.” Quirin explained, smiling wider than she had ever seen him. 

“What did the monkey tell you?” Rapunzel asked, despite the guilty feeling that was still present. She had no right to ask, these weren’t her stories, _they were Varian’s._ She had stolen them from him the moment she left him to her father’s mercy. 

His cheery demeanor changed in an instant, shoulders slumping and face falling. He looked much older than he was, all the stress of the situation clear on his features. “He said I’d lose everything before I gained anything.” 

“I’m-“ She started, cut off when Quirin tiredly raised his hand. 

“You should get some sleep. It’s a long trek to the great tree.” He said, wrapping the blanket tighter around her. She simply nodded and laid down. She kept her eyes open and on the horizon, until the sun started to peek through the trees. Another day had gone by, another day that they had done nothing, another day that Varian would have to suffer though, _another day she lost a little more faith._

***************** 

Varian’s eyes fluttered open, frost coating his lashes and his hair. There was a small pile of snow that now accompanied him at the bottom of his pit. He reached out, cupping some of it in his hands, ignoring the cold biting feeling it spread through his bare hands. He held it until it melted in his hands, fascinated by the substance. He had never seen snow before, but quickly decided he quite liked it. He watched as it delicately fell from the sky, floating gracefully down to him. A snowflake fell onto his nose, making him cross his eyes to get a better look at it. It didn’t work. He smiled nonetheless. He threw the slushy snow into the air, laughing as it fell back down, hardly as graceful as the fresh snow.

For a moment he forgot where he was, for a moment he felt free, _for a moment he had a little more faith._


	4. Snow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay! This was supposed to come out yesterday but I struggling to focus on like anything yesterday so here it is! Enjoy!

Horace snuggled deeper into his blanket, reveling in the warmth it brought him. His eyes snapped open when his blanket let out a loud snore. He scrambled back, feet finding no purchase in the mushy snow beneath him. He  _ hated _ the snow. He shivered now being damp and away from the warmth of his blanket. He grabbed his blanket off the ground, wrapping it tightly around himself, coming to the horrifying realization that he had been snuggling with Lance. 

“Look who’s finally up.” Cassandra chuckled from his left, sharpening her knife. “You two look so  _ cute _ together.” 

“Cassandra, I will  _ literally _ pay you to forget that this happened.” Horace said, punctuating each word. 

“Horace,” She said, mimicking his tone. “I will  _ literally _ never let you forget this.” 

Horace opened his mouth to reply, eyes narrowing, before being interrupted. “I thought it was sweet.” Rapunzel sat up, showing him the painting she had done. Horace sighed, taking the journal and smiling softly. 

“You’re sweet.” Horace responded, giving her a quick peck on the nose. She smiled, only for it to fall a second later. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, dusting some of the snow off her shoulders. 

“As sweet as this all is we should probably get moving.” Lance said, yawning and stretching. He took a quick glance at the journal in Horace’s hands. “Awww we  _ do _ look cute!” 

“I guess we- wait. You were awake this whole time!” Horace shouted, as Lance let out a bellowing laugh. 

“You were shivering so bad, I thought you’d catch hypothermia!” Lance retorted. 

“He never has done well in the cold.” Quirin added, putting out their fire and gathering their supplies. 

“Is today just pick on Horace day?” Horace sighed exasperated, helping to put their things away. 

“No. Your parents started that when they named you Horace.” Cassandra laughed, lips turned up into a smirk. 

“I always pegged you as more of a Eugene.” Lance supplied. 

“Oh, Eugene! I love it!” Rapunzel squealed bouncing slightly where she sat. 

“I hate you all.” Horace huffed, standing and grabbing his things, arms crossed as he marched forward, ignoring the group’s laughs. 

***************** 

Lance’s feet were killing him. They had been walking nonstop. Their determined march had slowed considerably as the snow continued to fall and pile up on the ground. The wind had picked up as well. He was grateful for Quirin’s foresight to bring winter coats and boots. Cassandra was leading the group now, determination still burning bright in her eyes. Quirin just behind her, but Lance could see the older man starting to falter. Lance was in the middle, trying desperately to keep up morale with the occasional joke. Horace and Rapunzel trailed a ways behind. She gripped Horace’s arm tightly for support, looking like the next gust of wind could blow her over. He could see her shivering from where he was. 

“We need to find somewhere to rest!” Lance called over the wind. Horace shot him a grateful look, while Cassandra’s head snapped towards him eyes narrowing slightly. 

“We’re almost there! We can rest once we get to the tree!” Cass called back, gesturing to the silhouette barely visible through the blinding snow. 

“We’re not going to make it if we keep going in this storm! The tree can wait!” Horace added, voice carrying on the wind. 

“Can Varian wait?!” Cassandra snapped, eyes flashing dangerously. It was a low blow, they all knew it, but it didn’t stop the guilt and pain from rising. Quirin and Rapunzel visibly flinching. 

“We can’t do anything for him if we’re dead.” Quirin responded, voice barely heard above the other sounds. 

Something flashed across Cassandra’s eyes before she deflated, almost shifting into a completely different person. He seemed to be the only one who noticed, everyone else probably deciding it was due to stress. “You’re right. I’m sorry I snapped.” 

Lance watched her closely as they made their way to a nearby cave. It was probably nothing, but he wouldn’t take the chance, never again. He had noticed the subtle changes in Brock and decided to sit back and do nothing. This all could have been prevented if he had done something,  _ anything _ _._ But he ignored the signs. He would never make that mistake again. He would speak his concerns, check on his friends, and he would right the wrongs he had caused. 

****************** 

Cassandra had felt off since she woke up. She had felt infinitely more rested, easily waving off her strange dream. As the went on she could feel her strength returning, fueling her with a determination she hadn’t felt since they first arrived in Selene. She could also feel her power growing, a constant hum underneath her skin just waiting for her to call upon it. She felt in control for once in her life. She was taking charge of  _ her _ destiny. 

Maybe her dream had been beneficial, strange as it was. The little ghost girl hadn’t said much to her, other than she could help her be as powerful as her mother, all she had to do was go to the great tree, before she flickered out of existence for good. Cassandra wasn’t one to deny help, she had been struggling with her magic and needed all the help she could get, Matthews being a less than stellar teacher. She was already headed to the great tree as well, so she truly had nothing to lose and everything to gain in this situation. But the closer they got to the tree, the more she felt a sense of urgency to get to it. It was a strange feeling that made her irritable and clawed up her throat, making her snap when Lance suggested they rest. How dare they, when she was so close. Close to what she didn’t know. Saving Varian perhaps, maybe that was what she was feeling, the urgency of the situation setting in. It had been easier to ignore in Selene, with all the comforts and luxuries. But it had always been there in the back of her mind. You’re not doing enough, you need to do  _ more _ _._ And now that she was finally doing  _ something _ _,_ finally making progress, she didn’t want to stop. One look at the group told her she didn’t have a choice. If they wanted to make it to the tree alive, they would have to stop, they needed to rest. 

She was the first to lay down, furthest from the fire, not failing to notice the concerned looks Lance kept shooting her way. She looked away, focusing on massaging her throbbing hand, her scar hurting constantly now. It was probably due to the cold. She briefly considered moving closer to the fire, instantly shooting the thought down when Lance cast her another one of his concerned looks, instead turning her back to the group signaling she did not want to talk. She didn’t need another round of ‘were doing the best we can,’ ‘there was nothing else you could have done,’ ‘it’s not your fault,’ and worst of all the dreaded, ‘everything’s going to be okay.’ A frustrated tear escaped her eye, she wiped it away instantly. Nothing about this was okay, nothing would be okay again. Even when,  _ even if, _ they rescued Varian they had no idea of knowing what kind of condition he would be in. All she knew for certain was nothing would be the same. 

******************

Andrew shifted from foot to foot, impatience clear on his features. He pulled his coat tighter around his frame, it doing little good against the snowstorm. The army had stopped, it was too dangerous to continue in this weather. His eyes drifted to Varian’s prison cart before turning back to Clementine in front of him. 

“This is taking longer than I expected.” He huffed, arms crossed childishly across his chest. 

“I told you it would take time.” Clementine snorted, not looking up from the mixture she was stirring. 

“I know. I didn’t think you meant this long. The kid’s really starting to grate on my nerves.” He responded, rolling his eyes. 

“Well if Freddy would stop using the kid’s power, we would have already been out of here. The stone’s powerful, anytime it’s used were sent back to square one.” She explained, handing him the glass once it looked like plain water again. 

“Lucky for us there’s nothing to conquer between here and Selene.” Andrew smirked, swirling the water slightly. 

“You must be ready when the time comes. Once the stone manifests you’ll only have a few minutes to claim it. Regardless if you do it’ll most likely kill the child, be sure he doesn’t take the stone with him.” Clementine warned, before heading off to do her own thing. He smiled to himself, it would only be a matter of time before he claimed the moonstone for himself. No more playing nice, no more kid possessing a power he had no business holding. And once he had it he could truly have Corona. 

Saporia would rise and be stronger than ever before. No one would dare challenge him, no one would take their land from them again. And Frederic, well, _Selene would take care of that problem for him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick note on motivations here. Edmund wants to destroy the moonstone completely. Andrew wants to separate it from Var and have it for himself and not have the baggage of having it attached to Var. Frederic just wants power, he don’t give a shit how he has it.


	5. Tomorrow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s another one!!! This ones pretty angsty with the tiniest smidge of hope at the end! There’s also a Jurassic park reference lol! Enjoy!!!

_ She wasn’t sure when she had fallen asleep, but apparently she had. She was back in the strange place with the sun and the moon. She hadn’t been here since her shared dream with Varian, and now she was here again. She didn’t know why or how. It didn’t really matter, she knew she had no choice in the matter. Things had changed since she was last here. The world was covered in reds and purples, there was a significant crack in the ground, above her the moon was broken and the sun was eclipsed. She didn’t know what had caused these alarming changes. She felt uncomfortable, like something was wrong, very, very, wrong. And then she saw him, far away in the distance, but he was there.  _

_ “Varian!” She called, surging forward maneuvering around the cracks, tears blurring her vision, despite the wrongness of it all. It didn’t matter how much she ran, she wasn’t getting any closer. She blinked in confusion, wiping the tears from her eyes. He was facing her now, lips moving but she couldn’t hear him. He looked scared, face scrunched up in pain and a hand outstretched towards her. What startled her the most was how the boy was flickering in and out of existence, like he wasn’t really there, like he didn’t belong. A loud crack resonated through the space, the moon cracking further, and he screamed. She heard it loud and clear, echoing through her very being, reverberating all around. She ran again desperate to do anything, to help in any way she could. He spasmed on the ground, clutching at it, his chest, his stomach, his arms, his head, anything he could get his hands on. Blood trickled from his nose, ears, mouth and eyes.  _

_She slid on her knees reaching him, finally. “Varian! Var, I’m here. I’m here.” He didn’t answer, he didn’t even_ _acknowledge her existence. She reached out, trying to cup his face, but her hands went right through him. Panic rose in her chest, she couldn’t help, she couldn’t do anything. Her eyes drifted around, looking for anything that could help. She caught a glimpse of her blonde hair out of the corner of her eye. She grabbed it, hastily placing it over where his form was flickering. She took a deep breath the incantation on the tip of her tongue._

_ “You cannot save him.” She turned abruptly, coming face to face with a little girl. She was floating in the air, her expression bored while she examined her nails. She was flickering like Varian. The feeling of wrong came back tenfold. She wasn’t able to tear her eyes away from the girl, fearing what might happen if she did.  _

_ “That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try.” Rapunzel responded, eyes hardening with determination. She opened her mouth ready to speak the incantation, but a voice in the back of her mind stopped her.  _

_ “What’s the matter, child? Aren’t you going to save him?” The girl mocked, her eyes bearing into her own.  _

_ Rapunzel pulled her hair away abruptly. “No.” She said, standing to face the girl, her own flickering in sync with Varian’s. “Because that’s not him.”  _

_ The girl’s face broke out into a smile, splitting her features in two. “Clever girl.” Rapunzel had no time to react before Not Varian slammed into her, hands instantly going for her throat.  _

_ “Rapunzel!”  _

_ She fought back, despite her heart telling her not to hurt the boy, she listened to her head telling her it wasn’t really him. The girl laughed from somewhere above.  _

_ “Rapunzel, please!”  _

_ She struggled, breathing becoming increasingly harder as his hands tightened around her neck.  _

_ “You have to wake up!”  _

_ Spots danced in her vision, her lungs burning as they were declined the air they so desperately needed.  _

_ “Wake up!”  _

Rapunzel sucked in a deep breath, shooting up into a sitting position, nearly knocking her head into Horace’s. She reached to her neck, searching for hands that weren’t there. She sucked in the air around her like it might disappear at any moment, flinching when Horace placed a hand on her back. He retracted it immediately, looking hurt but giving her the space she needed. Once her breathing calmed down and her heart rate returned to a normal pace, she looked at the concerned faces that surrounded her. Horace was in front of her, hand awkwardly hanging in the air as if he wasn’t sure if he should touch her again. Lance was directly behind him, eyes wide and a bowl in his hands. Quirin was to her left, holding his own bowl. She noticed a bowl to her right, it’s contents on the floor like it had been dropped. 

“What happened?” She asked rubbing her temples trying to stave off the headache she could feel coming on. 

Horace and Lance shared a look. “Well, Blondie, you kinda passed out.” Horace explained, letting his hand fall to his side. 

She blinked trying to process the words. She supposed it made sense. She didn’t remember falling asleep and yet she had appeared in that strange dream world. “It, uh, it must’ve been the cold. I’m not that used to it.” She lied, rubbing her neck sheepishly. She figured it wasn’t as believable as she would have liked with how they were all staring at her. 

“Do-does she actually think we believed that?” Lance asked, causing her eyes to narrow. He could have been kind enough to let her believe her lie was passable. 

“Sunshine, what’s really bothering you?” She melted at the new nickname, leaning into Horace’s touch as he placed a warm hand on her cheek. She was thankful when Quirin nudged Lance, signaling him to give them space. 

“Everything about this. I-I can’t do anything without thinking how he should be here, how he doesn’t get to be a kid, how  he should be the one spending time with his father. He didn’t deserve this. It should be me. He’s my father, Horace. I should be the one suffering.” 

“Blondie-“ 

“No. Let me finish, please.” She took a steadying breath. “I can’t sleep. I dream about him all the time, blaming me, hurting me, sometimes he’s already dead. I’m- I’m scared we’re going to be too late. I’m scared we already are. What if he hates us? What if- what if he’s dead?” 

She hadn’t even noticed the tears falling from her eyes until Horace was wiping them away. He had tears in his own eyes. He gently pushed her hair away and placed a shaky kiss to her forehead. “Whatever happens we’ll deal with it together. I will  _ always _ be here for you.” 

“Thank you. I really, really mean it.” She said, leaning her forehead against his. 

“Anytime. And if you have trouble sleeping, Lance is a really good cuddler.” Horace teased, making her laugh through her tears. She felt a little bit better but knew she wouldn’t be able to heal completely until she was sure of Varian’s fate. 

*****************

Varian fell harshly to the ground, gasping for air as Frederic pulled him to his knees by his hair. The man had been none too happy to see him laughing and smiling in his pit. And now he was paying for it. To top it off he could smell the alcohol on his breath, which always made his punishments worse. His arm throbbed from where he landed on it. He whimpered as Frederic ran a hand down his cheek, caressing it in a way that might have seemed loving had the situation been different. He shivered involuntarily when Frederic’s thumb passed over his lips. “There are things far worse than death, little moonstone.” 

Varian almost breathed a sigh of relief when he was released, only for it to be replaced with a scream as his hands were yanked behind his back. The scream continued as he was dragged to the nearby stream, a thin layer of ice coating the surface. Frederic easily broke it with the heel of his boot. He used one hand to keep Varian’s hands securely behind his back and the other to shove his head under the water. He tried to hold his breath, but the shock of the freezing water and the fact that he was still struggling made it increasingly difficult. He was let up, only given enough time to suck in one measly breath before being shoved back under. The process was repeated a few times, water filling his lungs more than once, until he was finally let go. He coughed up the water, shivering and gasping for air on the snow lined ground. He wasn’t given a moment of rest before being pulled to his feet once again, Frederic pushing him forward back towards the camp. He walked the familiar route back to his prison cart, stumbling all the way, soldiers sneering as he went. 

Frederic suddenly stopped him, blocking his path. “You will walk the rest of the way.” He didn’t protest he knew it would be pointless, the king already had his shackles in place and pulled the boy forward. He was thankful the great tree wasn’t more than a mile away. He already knew from Andrew that they would be stopping to rest there. That didn’t make the trek any easier, he was shivering and out of breath by the time they got there, collapsing to his knees as soon as Frederic let him go. The only blessing being that the inside of the tree was far warmer than the outside. He settled against a wall, trying to regain his energy as the rest of the people busied themselves with making camp just inside the mouth of the tree. Andrew stopped by briefly to give him some water, which he took graciously, before returning to his work. 

He waited and waited for someone to come and chain him to something or put him back inside his prison cart, but no one came. It was an oversight, it had to be, because eventually the soldiers were settling down for the night and not one person paid him a second glance. He held his breath, hoping beyond hope that no one would realize their misstep. He waited until the steady chatter died out and eventually the fire did as well with no one tending to it. It was only then he took a chance. He stood on shaky legs, stumbling slightly and holding his breath as his chains clinked together. When no one moved he continued, taking cautious steps, checking every so often to ensure everyone was still asleep. Once he decided he was far enough he used what little energy he had to break out into a desperate run. He chose his path at random, not giving any thought to which way he was going at each fork in the road. 

He skidded to a stop, realizing he had come to a dead end. The room he ended up in was tall, ceiling stretching up as far as he could see. There were smaller trees inside and moss covered the walls. A small amount of water covered the ground. One wall had writing on it, while another was lined with scrolls. His curiosity rose, but his exhaustion took priority. He crawled behind the small desk by the scrolls and curled up. 

Tomorrow he would figure out what to do. Tomorrow would be better.  _ Tomorrow he might be free.  _


	6. Lost

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who don’t know I’m taking requests for one shots under a different story and I have a bad things happen bingo card going so updates might be slower here as I’m trying to alternate between the two! Anyways I hope you enjoy!!

The first thing Varian did when he woke up was break his chains. He couldn’t get them completely off, but with the right leverage he was able to break a link, giving himself more freedom to move as he pleased. Next he gathered all the scrolls and started reading. Should he be looking for a way out? Probably. Unfortunately he hadn’t paid any attention to where he came from or any possible exits, so he figured it was safer to stay put and move when he saw the guards. That way he at least knew where they were and where he shouldn’t go. Until then he’d sit and read. It didn’t take him long to realize most of the scrolls contained various theories and information about the moonstone and the sundrop. He had somehow managed to find a piece of chalk laying on the ground, using it to add his own notes to the wall. He quickly separated the information into two separate groups, one containing theories and the other containing facts. He decided to leave the facts alone for the time being, most of them he knew from personal experience. He cross referenced the facts and his own experiences to start eliminating the theories. 

One scroll in particular caught his attention, being neither fact nor theory, rather a poem of some sort. He wrote directly on the scroll for this one, deciding it must be an incantation like Rapunzel used. It was the only way it made sense for it to be amongst these other scrolls. He analyzed the words, writing his own theories about what it could do. Whatever it was for, it couldn’t be good, none of the words implying anything pleasant. He didn’t dare speak it aloud either, he wasn’t an idiot. He took a step back look at his notes. ‘Decay’ was circled multiple times, it was the only word in the incantation that really made any sense to him and might give a clue to what it did. He sighed in defeat, slumping against the small desk and sinking to the ground. He smiled slightly when he noticed an empty scroll. Using his legs as a table he spread it out, putting the chalk to the parchment. He had seen a few of Rapunzel’s paintings, and while he didn’t have any paint, he could make do. He hesitated for a second, not sure if he’d even be able to draw, but quickly pushed the thought to the side when the perfect picture popped into his head. 

He didn’t know how long he’d been drawing for, he just knew he was almost done, when footsteps echoed throughout the room. He stopped his motions, holding his breath as the steps grew closer. It was too late to run now, he’d easily be caught. He had gotten comfortable, forgotten his situation, for what a half finished theory and a poorly drawn picture. 

“Knock, knock.” Varian let out a sigh of relief as Andrew’s face came into view. “How did I know I’d find you with all the nerd stuff?” 

“Are-are you alone?” Varian asked, voice barley a whisper. 

“Yup.” Andrew responded, popping the ‘p.’ “You’ve really sent the camp into quite the panic. Good ol Freddy’s already killed three of his men! Three!” 

Varian jumped as Andrew slammed his fist on the desk, doubled over in laughter. He wiped a few stray tears from his eyes, handing Varian a glass of water. “Drink up, kid. I’m sure you’re thirsty.” 

Memories of being held under water briefly flashed before his eyes. “I’m fine, thanks.” Varian responded, standing and placing his drawing on the desk, shooting a wary glance to the entrance to the room. 

“Yeah, you say that now, but I doubt you’ll have the luxury once we get back to camp.” Andrew drawled, pushing the glass towards him. 

“What? No, I’m not going back!” Varian protested, shoving the glass back. 

“Don’t be ridiculous. Their going to catch you eventually. Make it easier on yourself and turn yourself in.” Andrew countered, once again moving the water back. 

“No.” Varian pushed the glass, accidentally sending it toppling to the ground, shattering on impact. Andrew clicked his tongue, a fire burning in his eyes, but Varian didn’t notice. “I’m done, Andrew. I-I can’t take anymore. Rapunzel-“ 

He was cut off abruptly as Andrew clamped a hand over his mouth, shoving him against the wall. His eyes widened in fear as Andrew leaned in dangerously close. “They are not coming for you. How many times do I have to tell you to get it through your head? They. Are. Not. Coming.” Varian’s eyes involuntarily darted to the drawing on the desk. Andrew following his glance, laughing as he caught sight of the picture. The picture had Varian in the center of a hug from Rapunzel, his dad, Horace, Cassandra, and Lance. They were all smiling widely. Andrew removed the hand from his mouth, moving it to his shoulder to keep him pinned to the wall, the other picking up the drawing. “Oh, this is  _ rich _ _!_ Did you draw this? Do you actually think they still  _ care _ about you?” 

“Andrew, give it back,  _ please _ _!”_ Varian pleaded, reaching for the drawing, only for Andrew to shove him harshly back against the wall. 

“You do!” Andrew laughed, ignoring Varian’s request. “I hate to break it to you but a week or so after you got back, we received a letter from the princess telling dear Freddy to keep you as far away from them as possible.” 

“You’re lying!” Varian shouted, feeling angry tears forming in the corners of his eyes. 

_“Am I?_ Think about it logically. They didn’t have to go to Selene, they could have rescued you first, but they didn’t.” 

“No! It’s not true! They had to go back! They- they...” Varian trailed off, not being able to come up with a reason himself. Andrew released him. Varian immediately sunk to the ground, tears falling freely now. He flinched at the sound of paper ripping. 

“They _abandoned_ you.” Another tear. “They _left_ you to suffer.” Another. “They never _cared_ about you.” Another still. “They are _never_ coming.” The pieces floated to the ground, staying for a moment before dissolving into the water. He tired to grasp them to no avail, each tear feeling like a tear in his heart. 

“I know it hurts now, but you have a family, a  _ real _ family, with the Saporians.” Andrew comforted, lifting Varian’s chin so that he was looking him in the eyes, a soft smile on his face. “We can sneak out of here, head back to Corona, and leave Selene to deal with Frederic. You’re one of us now and we just want to protect you. What do you say?” 

Andrew outstretched his hand to Varian, patiently waiting for an answer. Varian weighed his options in his head. He could stay here, hide until he was eventually found, and forced to conquer Selene. He might get to see his father and Rapunzel again, but if what Andrew said was true what was the point, they didn’t want him. If he went back with Andrew he could be with people that actually wanted him, no more being forced to do things he didn’t want to. He could be his own person with people that genuinely cared. 

It seemed like the obvious choice, so Varian took his hand. It made sense in his head,  _ so why did he feel so lost?  _


	7. Win

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of Cass and Raps insight in this one, featuring booberry. Enjoy!!

Rapunzel stretched, feeling much better after her talk with Horace. She had actually gotten a few hours of sleep, which was so much more than she had been getting. She felt more determined. She took a confident step out of their cave, her boot sliding in the melted snow on the ground. All her previous confidence was replaced by embarrassment as she wobbled dangerously, trying to keep her balance. She felt her feet slid out from underneath her, letting out a startled yelp only for her downward fall to be stopped abruptly by Cassandra. She glanced up sheepishly at her savior. 

“You okay?” Cassandra asked, giving the girl a moment to steady herself. 

“Yeah, thanks. I-I didn’t think it would be so slippery.” Rapunzel laughed, pulling her braid in front of her, smoothing out the strands, a nervous tick she had picked up. 

“Ice typically is.” Cassandra smirked. In an instant Cassandra’s demeanor changed. She alternated between picking at her glove and rubbing circles over it. Her eyes darted around, face taking on a variety of expressions in a matter of seconds, almost as if she was having a conversation with herself. Rapunzel was about to question her when Cassandra sighed, turning her attention back to Rapunzel. “Listen, Raps, I’m sorry for pushing so hard yesterday. I just- it feels like something’s pulling me towards the tree. Like if we don’t get there in time something terrible is going to happen. I can’t explain it, I just  _ need _ to be there.” 

“Cass, I think we all feel like that. Whatever’s there could help us save Varian, or at the very least tell us more about the moonstone and sundrop.” Rapunzel said gently, giving the other girl a soft smile. 

“No, you don’t understand. It’s not about any of that.  _ I _ need to be there. This is about  _ me _ _._ Is it too much to ask for something to be about me for a change? Not you, not Varian-“ Cassandra stooped abruptly, back straightening, and eyes going hazy for a second. “You know what? Forget I said anything.” 

She was gone before Rapunzel could even process what she had said. Rapunzel blinked, once, twice, her confusion increasing as she replayed the conversation in her head. It didn’t make sense to her, the same as yesterday, one moment Cassandra seemed fine and then she’d snap about something, things that she never talked about before, things Rapunzel felt guilty for not noticing. Was she being selfish? Was it fair to expect so much from her, when this wasn’t even her problem? Was she a bad friend for not noticing sooner? 

“Ready?” Lance asked, startling her from her thoughts. Rapunzel have a short nod.

“Hey, Lance, can I ask you something?” She asked, skipping to catch up with him. 

“You just did.” Lance winked. His smile fell when he noticed the concerned look on her face. “You can ask me anything. I probably won’t have the answer, but you can ask.” 

Rapunzel smiled softly, before her frown returned. “Does Cass seem off to you?” 

“Yeah. I noticed it yesterday. Don’t worry I’m keeping an eye on her. I won’t make the same mistake.” Lance stated, eyes burning with determination. 

Rapunzel’s frown deepened. She really was a bad friend. Not only did she not realize Cass was suffering, she didn’t realize Lance was too. She placed a comforting hand on his arm. “Lance, you can’t blame yourself for Flynn’s mistakes.” 

He took her hand in his, a sad smile on his face. “And you can’t blame yourself for your father’s.” 

Rapunzel stared in surprise. She wanted to protest, she wanted to say something to defend herself, but anything that she could come up with would just prove his point, so she nodded, keeping her mouth shut despite her heart telling her otherwise. She needed to fix this, she had to, if she didn’t who would? 

*****************

Cassandra’s head spun. She hadn’t expected this to be so overwhelming. It was unsettling to have the girl’s voice pop into her head whenever she desired. This was not what she had in mind when the girl said she would expand her powers, all she had to do was get her to the tree and claim her destiny. She wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but she couldn’t deny the thrilling feeling it sent through her. She had spent so long guarding a flower for a mother that would never return, only for it to be gone in a matter of seconds. She didn’t regret saving Rapunzel’s life, she just couldn’t help the feeling that she had been robbed of something. Like everything she had worked for had been ripped from her fingers and given to someone else. And now she was told she still had a purpose, could still carry on her mother’s legacy, she could be great. All she had to do was get to the tree, then the girl could be free. How she didn’t know, it didn’t matter, not really. The girl had been trapped against her will in another dimension. She had only been able to reach out to Cassandra because she had unintentionally caused a rift between that dimension and theirs in that strange dream world. She saw her potential and now she wanted to train her, expand her horizons, and there’s no way she could be a worse teacher than Matthews. 

“I told you she wouldn’t understand.” The girl’s voice echoed in her head. Cassandra startled, still not used to having the girl’s voice pop up from time to time. “She doesn’t see your value. She doesn’t see your worth.” 

“That’s not true. She’s just stressed right now, we all are.” She responded, deciding to voice her thoughts out loud instead of in her head since she was currently alone anyways. 

“Were you not just thinking the opposite? She only cares about the moonstone, it’s in the sundrop’s nature. Once you have fulfilled your purpose she will dispose of you.” The girl responded. She could practically see the smug grin on her face. 

“Stay out of my thoughts.” Cassandra hissed, despite the slight dread that filled her at the possibility that she might be right. Was she just a means to an end? Another solider to sacrifice in this never ending war? She had swore to wage a war long ago, but that was on her own terms, not to be another’s pawn. She refused to lose, she refused to be used. She would fight for what she believed in, for her own gain, she wouldn’t be tossed to the side again. 

She would win.  _ And she didn’t care who she had to go through to do it.  _


	8. The Great Tree: Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We’re here boys!!!!! I decided to break this up into three parts cause it would just be too long otherwise! There’s a lot to unpack in this chapter and really in all the upcoming great tree chapters so if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask! Enjoy!!!

Horace stared up at the great tree. It was much larger than he had imagined. It would take weeks to go around, hell, it would take weeks to explore. And yet here they were, looking for a fragment of a scroll in the immense tree. He wished Hector were here. He used to guard the tree and its secrets before everything went to shit. If anyone could help it would be him. He took a deep breath, seeing no use in delaying the inevitable and stepped inside. 

“Woah.” Rapunzel breathed next to him. He couldn’t help but copy her sentiment, eyes wide as he looked around the tree. The branches sprawled as high as he could see, very little light filtering in from the outside. Tunnels and pathways each went in various different directions, seemingly never ending in their possibilities. 

“How did Uncle Hector live here without losing his mind?” Horace asked, plucking an abandoned torch from the wall. He held it out to Cassandra, silently asking her to light it. She did so with ease, the torch now sporting an eerie green flame. Horace raised a questioning eyebrow, was she not struggling with that same spell not two days ago? He decided not to say anything though, there were more important matters at hand. 

“He didn’t.” Quirin laughed. 

“You insult me, brother, nephew.” Hector said, appearing from one of the many passageways, addressing Quirin and Horace respectively. 

“Their not wrong.” Adira chimed in, appearing alongside Hector. 

“I take it Father’s close by?” Horace asked, turning the conversation to something of greater importance, knowing fully well that if allowed the knights would bicker all day. 

“He’s going around the tree. He sent us to scout. Frederic’s forces are already here. No sign of our nephew.” Adira explained, her eyebrows knitting in worry. 

“Does that mean he escaped?” Rapunzel pipped up, hope in her voice. 

“Possibly, but we don’t want that.” Quirin said, rubbing a hand down his face with a sigh. 

“Why not?” Lance asked, sharing a confused look with Rapunzel. 

“Well, if he’s with Frederic we know where he’s at. We know where to go when we were ready.” Horace elaborated, making sure they were following before continuing. “If he escaped, we have no way of knowing where he is or where he’s going. We’re basically back to square one at that point.” 

“And if he didn’t escape?” Cassandra asked, worry a small amount of fear lacing her voice. 

“We could have easily missed him, this place is huge. It’s not likely Frederic would have left him somewhere else. He is the only reason he’s gotten this far to begin with. The alternative being...” Adira trailed off, not wanting to finish her sentence. 

“He’s dead.” Hector deadpanned.

“Which we are going to assume is not the case, since Frederic’s men are running around here in a frantic search.” Adira quickly corrected. 

“So he escaped.” Lance concluded, looking to Adira for confirmation. 

“Most likely.” Hector answered. “Which leads us to our next question, why are the lot of you here?” 

“We’re looking for the missing piece of the scroll. We think it holds the answers we need about the moonstone and sundrop.” Rapunzel explained, holding out the pieces for emphasis. 

“Great. Nothing important, you can leave now.” Hector insisted, pushing the group towards the entrance. 

“Wait! We are not leaving! We didn’t come all this way for nothing!” Rapunzel protested. “Plus if Varian is here, we want to help!” 

“It’s not safe, now that Frederic’s men are here,  _ especially _ for you, Princess.” Adira argued.

“She’s right. It’s not safe. I’m not leaving, but you should.” Quirin stated, voice unwavering in its determination. 

“Brother, you have not fully recovered yet.” Adira said, addressing the man more softly than she had the rest of the group. 

“I don’t care. I’ve worked my ass off for the past six months for  _ this _ _moment._ And I am  _ not _ leaving _ my son _ again.” Quirin’s tone left no room for argument. 

“Fine, but the rest of you have to go.” Hector sighed, accepting the new agreement. 

“We would, but Cass and Lance are gone.” Horace shrugged, a small smirk playing on his lips. He had seen Cassandra exit, followed closely by Lance, when the rest were arguing but decided against saying anything, for this reason exactly. Now they had a reason to stay. 

Hector growled in annoyance. “I’ll find them. You two, stay with Adira and Quirin.”He was gone before anyone could argue otherwise. 

*****************

Cassandra didn’t know where she was going, but something told her it was the right direction. It was as if something was pulling her, making her feet move. It didn’t scare her, in fact she felt at ease. It felt right. She could hear the girl’s voice in her head, getting louder, more prominent with each step. She paid it no mind, her body in a trance like state, going down into the tree until she could see the sickly green light reflecting onto the walls. It was comforting, familiar, it felt like home. She expertly stepped around the glowing green vines that coated the floor, the pulsing green heart in the center. She reached towards the spear that impaled it, fingertips grazing the handle. 

“Yes, Cassandra, set me free.” The girl encouraged. “Fulfill your destiny.” 

Cassandra froze, blinking once, then twice, her hand hovering over the spear. “This is my destiny?” 

“Yes. You will be my best solider.” The girl cooed. 

“And what more?” Cassandra snarled, hand lowering to her side. She clutched her fist in anger when she didn’t immediately get a response. “What more am I than a pawn to be used? Is that all I am? To you, to Rapunzel, _to everyone?”_

“Yes.” The girl’s voice completely changed at that simple word, becoming harsher, sharper. “But you can be so much more. Set me free and I will show you.” 

For the first time since she saw the girl, warning bells went off in her head, the green around them glowing brighter each time the girl spoke. The immediate feeling of knowing this was wrong. She was about to speak her thoughts, let the girl know how she felt, when her hand erupted in pain. It was unlike anything she ever felt. It was a searing, white hot pain, that shook her whole body. She tore off her glove, staring with eyes wide in fear as the moon shaped scar shone a bright blue. 

The girl laughed beside her. “What an interesting turn of events. Did you even know the moonstone granted you some of its power? And now it wants it back.” 

Cassandra screamed, sweat clinging to her forehead, as the skin on her hand started to break apart. She could see the small shard from the growing opening in her hand. She cradled it close to her chest, the sight of it making her nauseous. “What is happening?” She asked between painful breaths. 

“The moonstone is changing hands, and I suggest you be there to claim it.” 

Maybe it was sheer willpower, or perhaps something else entirely, but Cassandra found the strength to push herself to her feet and move herself forward. She didn’t think about where she was going, letting her feet guide her, but she knew it was the right direction whenever the pain flared. _Her hand becoming like a cruel compass guiding her to her destiny._

*******************

Varian pressed himself against the wall, waiting for Andrew’s signal before moving forward again. It seemed like each corner they turned the more guards there were. 

“Okay, kid, we’re almost there.” Andrew whispered. Varian’s face lit up, he could see it in the distance, the soft light from outside shining in. It wasn’t the way they had come in, but it was an exit nonetheless. He could feel the hope swelling in his chest. He took a step forward, a step towards his freedom, only for that hope to be crushed. A wave of pain rocked his body, causing him to double over. He bit into his lip trying to suppress the cry of agony that threatened to claw its way out. It felt like he was being torn apart and stitched back together again, the power of the moonstone rising and fading. He coughed, small drops of blood coating the wall in front of him, one hand gripped his stomach and the other pressed firmly against the wall, the only thing keeping him up. His vision blurred as more pain made itself known. He was vaguely aware of blood trickling from his nose, breaths coming out in shorter and shorter gasps. 

“An-Andrew, wha-what’s happening?” Varian managed to squeak out between gasps. He coughed again, more blood coming up, thicker, redder. 

Andrew lifted Varian’s chin, almost looking concerned as he gave the boy a once over, before a smile spread over his features. “I’m winning.” He said simply, removing Varian’s hand from the wall and laughing as he toppled over, writhing in pain in the dirt. This time Varian didn’t try to suppress his scream. He curled in on himself, shaking from the pain, crying from the hurt, _broken from yet another betrayal._


	9. The Great Tree: Middle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same as last chapter, lots to unpack, ask if you have any questions. I’m sorry, please don’t kill me! Enjoy!! 
> 
> PS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY VAR!!!!

Lance moved as fast as he could without running. He didn’t want to be too obvious that he was following her, but Cassandra was fast, whether or not she knew he was following. He watched as she turned the corner, picking up his pace to catch up with her. As soon as he turned the corner she was nowhere to be seen, the chamber splitting off into various different directions. He cursed under his breath, it was probably best to retrace his steps and head back to the rest of the group. His chances of picking the right direction were slim to none. He turned around, coming face to face with Hector, and let out a very manly scream. 

“Which way did she go?” Hector asked, completely ignoring his scream, besides a raised eyebrow. 

“If I knew I probably would’ve headed in that direction.” Lance replied, biting back a smirk at Hector’s eye roll. 

“Come with me, the other group has already moved on.” Hector sighed, dropping down to run his hand over the dirt there. Lance raised an eyebrow at his actions, but decided not to say anything. From the little Horace had told them about him, he was the brotherhoods tracker and he could have quite the temper. And lance did not feel like losing a finger to test that theory right now, so he waited until the man rose again. “This way.” 

Lance jogged slightly to catch up with the older man, the other wasting no time in waiting for him. “Where are we going?” Lance asked, noting how they were descending slightly. 

“If I am correct, which I am rarely wrong, your little friend is headed to the heart of the tree where a portion of Zhan Tiri’s power was trapped.” Hector explained, picking up his pace once Lance had caught up. 

“Zhan who now?” He asked confused. He had never heard that name before, or maybe he had once in a story in the orphanage. He wasn’t sure, it sounded vaguely familiar but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. 

“Nephew never told you about Zhan Tiri?” Hector asked, scoffing when Lance shook his head. “Unbelievable. Long story short Zhan Tiri is an evil sorcerer who was locked away long ago by a magician and scientist named Demanitus. This was Zhan Tiri’s stronghold.” 

“And what does Cass have to do with this?” Lance asked. 

“I don’t know.” The knight admitted. “But it can’t be good.” 

Lance just nodded in response. He hoped that whatever Cassandra got herself into she would make it out okay. For her sake, for everyone’s sake. 

*******************

Quirin matched Adira’s strides, determination set in his features. His hands were balled into fists at his sides. Adira, on the other hand kept her posture loose. Her footsteps making no sound as she moved. “You shouldn’t be here, brother.” 

“I’m done sitting on the sidelines while others fight for my son. I am getting him back one way or another.” Quirin responded, not sparing her a glance, keeping his strides consistent. 

“I understand, I do. But you have to think this through.” Adira said, voice low. 

_ “Think?!  _ I’ve done nothing but think for the past  _ ten _ years! And now that I finally have the chance to do  _ something _ you want me to  _think?”_ Quirin snarled, fists shaking at his sides. 

“Quirin-“ 

“And tell me, Adira, how do  you understand? Correct me if I’m wrong, but you didn’t have your child  _ ripped _ from your arms and taken by a  _ madman. _ You can’t even  _ begin _ to understand what I’ve been through, what Var-varian’s been through.” 

Adira clicked her tongue, glancing briefly to Horace and Rapunzel. The former watching the exchange with wide eyes. She returned her eyes to Quirin, her hands clasped tightly behind her back. “You are not the only one that lost something that day. I lost a nephew I didn’t even  _ know _ I had, until Frederic  _ gloated _ to us that he had  _ killed _ you both. I mourned for you,  _ we _ mourned for you, for  _ him _ _._ You may have gotten the short end of the stick, but don’t think for one second you were,  _ are _ _,_ the only one to suffer. We’re all in this shit show together and we’ll get through it, _together.”_

Quirin opened his mouth to respond, but whatever it was was cut off when a scream echoed through the caverns. 

“Varian.” Quirin and Rapunzel said in unison, sharing a look before taking off in the direction of the screams. 

****************

Cassandra stumbled forward, gasping as another wave of pain shot up her arm. She was grateful that the girl had made herself scare during this time, only the occasional laugh echoing around in her head. She still pushed on, strongly considering just chopping the hand off and being done with it. It didn’t help matters that her own magic seemed to be fighting against whatever this was, like an infection. She took another shaky step. She had to keep going, she was so close she could feel it. 

“Cassandra!” She turned sharply at her name being called, spotting Lance and Hector in the distance. “Cassandra, whatever you’re doing you have to stop.” 

“Stop?” She questioned. What was she doing wrong? She hadn’t even done anything, and yet she was being accused. Of what she wasn’t sure, but it hurt nonetheless. 

“They don’t trust you, Cassandra.” The girl snickered, causing her to wince at the sudden intrusion. 

“I don’t trust  _ you.” _ She shot back, glaring at where she hoped the girl was, not catching Lance’s concerned look. She turned her attention to the two men. “I haven’t done anything.” 

“I know, I know, just come back. Whatever’s going on we can work though.” Lance tried, taking a small step forward. 

“They can’t help you. They don’t understand.” The girl spoke. 

“You can’t help because there’s  _ nothing _ wrong. I’m finally becoming who I was meant to be.” Cassandra countered, taking a step back. 

“So let us help.” Lance pleaded, this time staying put. 

“They’ll only hold you back. You cannot grow with them around. Show them, show them you don’t need their pity.” The girl’s smile was evident in her tone. 

“You can’t.” Cassandra responded, raising a glowing green hand into the air and bringing it harshly to the wall. The walls shook, debris raining from the ceiling, cracks spreading throughout the ground. 

“Cass!” She barely heard Lance’s cry as the rocks piled, separating her from the rest. Her chest rose and fell harshly, exhaustion sweeping over her. Spots danced in her vision as she fell backwards to the ground. The girl appeared above her, blue and transparent, but she was there. 

“What a shame. I thought you’d be stronger.” 

****************

Varian rolled over to his stomach, fingers digging into the dirt beneath him. He coughed up blood onto the already soiled ground, trying to push himself up. He let out another scream as Andrew pushed him back to the ground with the heel of his boot. 

“Don’t strain yourself too much, buddy. You’re only making this harder on yourself.” Andrew drawled, seemingly bored with the situation. Varian grabbed a fistful of dirt and threw it towards Andrew. The man just laughed, grabbing Varian’s wrist and twisting it behind his back. “That was cute.” 

“I-I hate you.” Varian gasped out, resting his forehead against the dirt, whimpering as another wave of pain hit. 

“I know.” Andrew cooed, kicking the boy over onto his back. “Don’t worry, it’s almost over.” 

Varian didn’t have the energy to respond, squeezing his eyes shut tightly as Andrew grabbed his chin and tilted his head back and forth examining him. His eyes shot open, back arching in pain, another scream ripped from his throat. He was vaguely aware of the soft blue glow starting to pool at his chest. He was aware of how his head fell harshly back to the ground when Andrew released his chin, and turned his attention to the entryway. 

“There it is. You’ve caused quite the stir.” Frederic called, striding into the room. “Step aside, Saporian, I can take it from here.” 

“I don’t think so, Freddy.” Andrew responded, drawing his sword. “I finally have the power to take Saporia back and I  _ don’t _ intend to let it go.” 

Frederic sighed. “So be it. I have no problems disposing of you.” He drew his own sword poised to strike. Before either could attack the ground shook, throwing both men off balance. Varian covered his head as debris rained down on them, thick cracks spreading on the ground, one forming just behind Andrew. Frederic wasted no time, plunging his sword into Andrew’s stomach and kicking him into the newly formed hole. The man screamed as he plummeted into the abyss. 

Frederic smiled, turning his attention to Varian. Varian scrambled back, eyes wide in fear, stopping when his back hit the wall. Frederic stepped towards him, smile morphing into something more sinister. “Let’s go, little moonstone. We still have work to do.” 

Varian didn’t know where he got the strength from, but he pushed himself to his feet, the pain now all concentrated in his chest. The feeling somehow made him feel stronger and weaker at the same time. _“No.”_ Varian gasped out, eyes narrowing in determination. “I’m  _done._ I won’t be used anymore.” 

“Suddenly so brave.” Frederic clicked his tongue, smile sliding off his face, his hand shooting and tightening around Varian’s neck. “Let’s see how long that lasts.” 

Varian clawed at his hand, trying to suck in a breath. A desperate thought lingered in the back of his mind. It was risky but it just might work. He only had one shot and he was determined to make it count. Varian opened his mouth, this time to speak instead of take a breath. 

_ “Wither and decay.”  _


	10. The Great Tree: End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We at the end boys!!!! Of the great tree anyways lol! Enjoy!!!!

“Wither and decay.” 

The words somehow felt natural, rolling off his tongue as if they were meant for him. 

“End this destiny.” 

The pain in his chest increased and then it was gone, spreading like wildfire through the rest of him. 

“Break these earthly chains.” 

Frederic screamed in pain, falling to the floor. Varian paid him no mind. 

“And set the spirit free.” 

Varian stepped closer to Frederic. His face twisting into a sharp smile. 

“Set the spirit free.” 

********************

Rapunzel ran as fast as she could, dodging the debris that rained from above. She stumbled, trying to keep up with Quirin while the ground shook. 

“Rapunzel!” Horace yelled. She turned to look at him. His and Adira’s path blocked by rocks. She hesitated, wanting to help them but also wanting to get to Varian. 

“Go! We’ll find another way.” Adira called, pushing Horace back the way they came. Rapunzel nodded and continued her trek. The screams had stopped, the shaking had stopped, and she could only hope that was a good thing. 

***************** 

Horace wanted to protest as Adira pulled him along. He felt very much like a child and he didn’t like it one bit. 

“We need to get you out of here.” Adira said, hand tightly wrapped around his wrist. 

“No! We need to help! They could be facing an army.” Horace argued, pulling his wrist out of her grasp. 

“Horace.” Adira started, turning to face him. He startled slightly, she never used his actual name unless the situation was dire. “This is not your fight. Let us handle this.” 

“This is my fight! This has to do with my kingdom. The moonstone is our problem. I am not backing down. I am the prince and I will fight.” Horace insisted, chest puffing out in determination. 

“Then I suggest you start acting like it.” Edmund called. Any confidence Horace had disappeared, his father’s face set in a disapproving scowl. “You put your kingdom at risk when you first left to find the moonstone. Not only did you not succeed, you brought back their princess. That alone is an act of war.” 

“If I didn’t she would have been killed!” 

“It doesn’t matter. She belongs to Corona until she renounces her title. You’re lucky your mother has such a sensitive soul.” 

“But-“ 

“And now you’ve dragged innocents into the mess you’ve created. And to think I used to have such high hopes for you. Go home, Horace, we’ll finish our discussion there.” Edmund finished, running a hand down his face. 

“Yes, _your majesty.”_ Horace replied, dipping into a short bow before brushing passed his father, keeping his eyes downcast so that he couldn’t see the frustrated tears that started to pool in his eyes. He barely registered Hector and Lance’s presence, striding passed them regardless of where the exit was. His eyebrows did knit in concern upon noticing the unconscious Cassandra in Lance’s arms, but he was too hurt to pay it too much mind. He would prove to his father he could be a good ruler, a good son. 

*****************

Rapunzel’s steps faltered, the closer they got to their destination the thicker the air seemed, making it harder to breathe. She still pushed forward, determined to get there, determined to succeed. She wouldn’t fail, not again. Quirin was having a harder time, where he previously lead their small group, he was now trailing behind her, breaths coming out short and ragged. She could see the opening ahead, they were almost there, then they’d all be safe. 

She skidded to a stop at the entrance, heart climbing in her throat. Her father was on the ground, gasping desperately for air, Varian was crouched next to him. He didn’t look normal though. His hair was pitch black, eyes matching, smoke like tendrils coming off of him in waves, filling the room with a suffocating feeling. His veins glowed a bright blue, looking like a broken doll with cracks on his skin, a smile spilt his features unnaturally. 

“How does it feel to be on the other side? To be the one begging for mercy that won’t come?” Varian asked her father, not having noticed their entrance. His voice was sharp, echoing around the room in a way that sent chills up her spine. 

“Varian! Son.” Quirin called, dropping to his knees, unable to keep himself upright any longer. The boy turned his head to them, standing and taking a step forward. Rapunzel had to fight the urge to step back. His movements jerky and uncoordinated. His head tilted, snapped, to the side, his smile spreading impossibly larger. 

“You came! You actually came!” Varian laughed, the sound harsh and grating to her ears. Tears streamed down his cheeks and blood still flowed freely from his nose, a small bit visible on his chin as if it had been coughed up. “They told me you wouldn’t. They said you didn’t care. Do you care? Dad? Rapunzel?” 

“Of-of course we care.” Rapunzel responded where Quirin couldn’t. Part of her wanted to tell him to leave, she could handle this, but she knew he wouldn’t listen. 

“You’re lying.” Varian’s smile slid off his face, shoulders hunching up and bottom lip trembling. “You’re lying! And I  _ hate _ liars!” 

Rapunzel stumbled, the ground shaking violently with his outburst, black rocks shooting up around them. “Varian-“ 

“Shut up! Shut up, shut up,  _shut up!”_ His hands went to his hair, pulling, tugging, almost as if he was at war with himself. “If you cared you would have come sooner. If you cared you would’ve done something. If you cared you would’ve stopped  _ this !”  _

“We’re here now.” Rapunzel tried, taking a hesitant step towards him. “We’re trying to help you.” 

“Too late. You’re  _ too late,  _ Rapunzel.” Varian laughed again, tears falling from his eyes, letting his hair go and hugging himself. He straightened suddenly, smile returning, hand reaching out to her. “And now you’re going to  _ pay.”  _

She rolled to the side, black rocks shooting up where she had been. She undid her braid as fast as she could, dodging another attack of rocks. “Varian! Stop this, _please!”_ He didn’t respond, simply raising his arm again. Rapunzel flung a strand of hair out, wrapping it around his wrist. 

“Let me go!” He shrieked, tugging his arm.She wrapped another piece around his other arm, pulling them together. 

“I’m sorry.” Rapunzel whispered. She took a deep breath and hoped beyond hope this wouldn’t hurt him. 

“Flower gleam and glow.” 

She felt the familiar warmth starting at her roots. 

“Let your power shine.” 

The golden glow flowed quickly to the tips where Varian was still trapped. 

“Make the clock reverse.” 

He screamed, thrashing in her grip. A tear escaped her eye as she tried her best to ignore him. 

“Bring back what once was mine.” 

The smoke receded, the rocks sinking back into the ground. His eyes returned to their normal blue before rolling to the back of his head. 

“What once was mine.” 

She wasn’t fast enough to catch him before he hit the ground. His skin was back to normal, the glow gone. She swore she heard something crack, but he looked fine besides the blue streak missing from his hair. She reached out to him. “Varian?” 

Her hands never touched him. Quirin was pulling the boy to his chest, his body hanging limply in his arms. He shot an accusing glance at Rapunzel. “What did you do?  _ What did you do?!” _

“I-I don’t know.” She took a step back. What if she killed him? Yes the incantation healed, but what if the moonstone reacted differently? She didn’t think of the risks, just that she had to stop him. She fell to her knees, letting her tears flow freely. “I’m sorry. I’m so, so,  _ sorry.” _

Quirin’s head snapped up as Edmund, Adira, and a few of their soldiers entered. She paid them no mind as they shackled her father and forced him into a prison cart. He was still alive, although he did not look well. Her focus was solely on Varian, how he hung unnaturally limp in his father’s grasp, the blood that stained his face, and his head lolled to the side. She kept to herself as they made their way back to Selene, not talking to anyone besides what was necessary. Her concern eating her up inside, her concern for Varian, and Cassandra, once she had been informed of her friends condition. She must have looked pretty bad, not even Horace tried to approach her. In fact he seemed just as distant as her. She ignored questions about what happened, and ran straight to her room upon their return. She buried her face into her pillow and sobbed until she couldn’t anymore. 

****************

It was the middle of the night when Cassandra woke up. She made her way to the mirror, running her hands over her face. She tilted her head, a sinister smile spreading across her face, eyes flashing bright green. She padded lightly out of the medical bay, picking up a bunch of grapes on her way out. It was easy to find where she was going, she took the same path almost everyday. She stopped in front of a door, knocking once, twice. The door swung open, revealing a very annoyed Matthews. 

_ “Hello, Tromus.” _


	11. Connection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ones shorter than the usual but I felt it was an appropriate place to leave off! Another big name drop and a dream sequence which y’all know I’m fond of! Btw did anyone catch the dream reference last chapter? Enjoy!

“Is that really you, my liege?” Matthews asked. 

“Of course it is.” She laughed, her own voice mixing with Cassandra’s. “But we don’t have much time. I don’t want to raise suspicion quite yet.”

“What do you need me to do?” 

She ran her hand over the books on his shelves, plucking one from its place and tucking it under her arm. “Find Sugracha. She will be essential in luring the stones to our side.” 

“And what of you?” 

She smiled, teeth on full display. “I have a scroll to find.” 

******************

_ The place was strange, a thick blanket of darkness surrounding him. There was nothing anyway he looked. Water sloshed around his ankles, the moon above shattered beyond recognition. He felt just as broken. He hadn’t wanted to hurt Rapunzel and his dad, just Frederic. But as soon as the incantation started everything else faded away leaving just the hurt, the betrayal, the absolute heartbreaking pain. He wanted them to feel it, to know what he had been through, to suffer. And now he was alone. He pushed them away, they’d probably never want anything to do with him again. All he did was cause problems. He didn’t want this. He didn’t ask for this. He just wanted to be normal, why couldn’t he be normal?  _

_ He sunk to the ground, hugging his knees to his chest, not caring that the cold water soaked his clothes. Everything hurt. He wanted it to stop. Why wouldn’t it stop? He sobbed into his knees until he was nothing but a hiccuping mess. He didn’t know how long he stayed like that, time didn’t matter here. But he knew he couldn’t stay there forever. He pushed himself to shaky feet and picked a direction, the only indication that he was moving at all was the sloshing water at his feet. He wrung his hands, glancing down at them occasionally. He startled, watching as his hands flickered in and out of existence. Something was wrong, something was very wrong. He took a step forward, falling to his knees when he flickered again. His chest erupted in an excruciating amount of pain. It felt like a hot iron was being shoved repeatedly into his heart. He gasped, one hand in the water supporting his weight, the other clutching desperately at his chest. Tears fell from his face, causing ripples in the water.  _

_ “Hel-help!” He screamed, the sound being swallowed by the dark abyss. “Pl-please, someone help!” He wanted it to stop, he  ** needed ** it to stop. He flickered, falling through the water. The substance filling his lungs, suffocating him.  _

_“There are things far worse than death, little moonstone.”_

_Frederic’s voice echoed around him. His lungs burned, but felt like ice at the same time. He wanted to scream._

_ “Do you care? Dad? Rapunzel?”  _

_ His own voice sounded foreign to his ears. He  ** hated ** it. Hated the way he accused them. Hated the way he so easily let his anger take hold. Hated the way that he still believed they didn’t care. He wanted them to help, he needed help.  _

_ “We’re trying to help you!”  _

_ Rapunzel’s desperate voice pleaded. He should have listened. He should have known she’d never betray him. But how could he when so many had? How could he trust her?  _

_ “I’m sorry. Please help me.” Varian pleaded, with who he didn’t know. He just needed someone,  ** anyone ** to save him, to stop this hurt.  _

_ Finally he fell out the other side of the water, gasping for air, his chest still pulsing in pain. This plane was stranger than the last. Water was above him and below him, just over a foot between the two. Walls were on either side, made completely of black rocks. They shone a bright blue wherever he was, although they didn’t allow him to see much beyond where he was. He only had two choices of where he could go, backward or forward. It shouldn’t have been such a hard choice, but somehow it felt like whatever he chose it wouldn’t just affect this strange dream world. He didn’t want to go back, and he wasn’t ready to move forward. He didn’t want either path, he wanted to make his own decision for once, to be the one in charge of his own fate. He placed a hand to the wall, the flickering still happening, and focused what little he could feel of the moonstone’s power into the attack. The wall shattered easily enough. He stepped over the rubble the water pouring into the new path.  _

_ The new area was much like the previous one, the water still lingered above and below, but it was accompanied by a thick green smoke that curled around his waist. The smoke was suffocating, as if it knew he didn’t belong. He didn’t get much time to explore before he heard movement to his right.  _

_ “Varian?” His head snapped to the right, coming face to face with Cassandra.  _

_ “Cassie! I-“ He winced as her fingers dug harshly into his shoulders.  _

_ “What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be here.” She said frantically looking over her shoulder.  _

_ “I-“ _

_ “You can’t be here. You need to leave  **now** .” She pushed him forward, apparently not seeing where he came from, and now that he needed the exit neither did he. “She can’t know you’re here. You can’t trust her, Varian. Do you understand?”  _

_“Cass- I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He managed to huff. She spun him around, green eyes scanning him before digging her hand into her pocket._

_ “I’m giving this back.” She said, waiting for him to hold out his hand, dropping the moonstone shard in his outstretched hand.  _

_ “No, no, Cassie, **please**. I don’t want it. Please don’t make me take it.” He pleaded trying to hand it back to her.  _

_ “I’m sorry, but it can’t stay here. You need to keep it safe. Varian she can’t get it. You can’t trust her. Promise me you won’t trust her.” She shook him violently, ignoring the confusion and pain on his face.  _

_ “You-you’re not making any sense. Cassie, you’re scaring me.” Varian cried, trying to get out of her grasp, while simultaneously trying to return the shard.  _

_ “You need to go. We’re out of time.”  _

_ He was fading away from her, her voice starting to echo.  _

_ “Keep the moonstone safe. Keep it away from her.”  _

_ The shard started to shine, falling into place in the center of his chest.  _

_ “And whatever you do, **do not trust me**.”  _

_His chest erupted in pain for the final time, something finally clicking into place. All the pieces of the puzzle rearranging. He opened his mouth to call out to her, stretched out a hand to reach her, **but he was already gone, she was already lost.**_


	12. Two Ways

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise next chapter we’ll see what Lance and Horace are up to! Enjoy!!

Quirin watched in horror as chains were placed around his son’s feet and wrists, effectively tying him to the bed. Varian’s breathing was shallow, the steady rise and fall of his chest barely visible. Quirin had thought he wasn’t breathing at all until Adira had pointed out that he was. The medic hadn’t even been able to do much, most of his injuries being moonstone related, they just had to wait it out for Varian to wake up himself. It was in that time that Quirin had explained to Edmund the events that had unfolded. The chains followed shortly after. 

“Is this really necessary?” Quirin asked, not caring about the clear anger that slipped into his tone. 

“If what you told me is true, then it most certainly is.” Edmund responded a certain sadness in his eyes. 

“You know the chains are nothing compared to the moonstones power. What is the point of them if they’re not going to do anything except scare the boy?” Minerva entered the room, scowl on her face as she made her way to her husband. 

“It’s a safety precaution.” Edmund answered, standing his ground. 

“A safety precaution?” She scoffed, glaring up at him. “A safety precaution would be teaching him to use his powers. A safety precaution would be separating the moonstone from him, safely. A safety precaution would be telling him he’s not the monster that he’s most certainly been told he is his entire life.” 

“Minerva-“ 

“No, you listen to me. This is not the way. You’re only going to make things worse. Please, Edmund, trust me on this.” The Queen pleaded. 

“Okay.” Edmund sighed, bringing her hand to his lips in a quick kiss. He turned to the guards. “Remove the-“ 

The room erupted in a bright blue light, coming from the boy’s chest. Varian’s eyes shot open, glowing like the light that encompassed the room. His back arched, straining against the chains. His scream echoed off the walls. Quirin was the first to his side, silently thankful for the chains now that Varian was thrashing so violently, they would likely prevent the boy from harming himself. 

“It’s okay. You’re safe. Dad’s here.” Quirin soothed, stroking Varian’s hair when he could. The room shook suddenly, screams sounding from below, black rocks shooting from the ground. 

“Sedate him!” Edmund ordered. The medic reacted quickly shoving a needle into the boy’s arm and administering the sedative. Varian spasmed a few more times before going limp again, the glow in his chest remaining. “Assess the damage. We will repair whatever we can.” Edmund instructed the guards. 

“Your majesty, you might want to see this.” Hector called staring at his nephew. The three knights were gathered around the bed, joined by the king and queen, all staring in awe as the moonstone started to piece itself together, the blue streak returning to Varian’s hair. It was still cracked, but the pieces were there, glowing eerily just below his skin. “Things just got a whole lot harder or a whole lot easier.” 

***************

Rapunzel jumped out her bed as soon as the shaking started, running to her window. She gasped, watching the black rocks spread throughout Selene, only to stop just as suddenly. It didn’t look like anyone was hurt, but she still needed to make sure, pushing down her desire to check on Varian first. She ran from her room running straight into someone as soon as she exited. 

“I’m so sorry. I-Cass?” She blinked in surprise, before pulling the girl into a hug. “How’re you feeling? Lance didn’t really explain what happened.” 

Cassandra looked confused for a moment, picking up the book Rapunzel hadn’t noticed she dropped. “I’m fine. It’s just like you said, I was just stressed.” She laughed awkwardly, pushing herself to her feet. 

“Right.” Rapunzel said, entirely unconvinced. There was something off about Cassandra she couldn’t quite put her finger on. “Anyways, I’m going to head into town. See if anyone needs help after those black rocks appeared. Wanna come?” 

“I think I’ll stay here. Check on the moon- Varian. Lance said he was back.” Cassandra responded offering her hand to help Rapunzel up. 

“Okay, see you later?” Rapunzel waved, making her way back down the hall. The whole interaction left her feeling weird. 

“Hey, Rapunzel?” Cassandra called, causing the blonde to turn back around. “If you still want to look for that scroll, I’d be happy to help.” 

“You would?” Rapunzel’s eyebrows knitting together in confusion. Hadn’t she just said she wanted to do something for herself, not with to do with the sundrop and moonstone? 

“Of course. We’re friends, aren’t we?” The smile on Cassandra’s face was more unsettling than reassuring, but Rapunzel nodded nonetheless. She turned quickly, moving faster down the hall, feeling more and more uncomfortable the longer she stayed alone with Cassandra. 

**************

_Cassandra hated this. She felt trapped, she was trapped. She felt useless, and it was all her fault. She shouldn’t have trusted the girl, deep down she knew it, but she had pushed those feelings aside for the promise of growing in strength, of becoming more._

_She wished she had more time to tell Varian more, to go into more detail. She just hoped he would remember her words when he awoke, hoped he would take her warning seriously. She knew she wouldn’t. She would have pushed it aside as a strange dream. The green fog grew thicker the longer she walked, trying to push herself out of her own mind, but she refused to give up. She could still hear, feel, and see everything that was going on, occasionally trying to break through the girl’s defenses. She could tell her efforts wore the girl down, slipping up in her otherwise flawless disguise. And that in itself brought her a swell of pride. She brought her hands together, trying to summon a gust of wind to blow out this fog. She huffed when nothing happened, trying again._

_“What are you doing?” The girl sneered, appearing not far from her. She floated above the smoke, most likely being covered by it if she did not._

_“I’m casting you out.” Cassandra responded, not caring if the little demon knew her plan, she was already in her head, what difference did it make?_

_“And you honestly think you can do that?” The girl laughed._

_“I can try.” She said defiantly, focusing back on her task. She opened her eyes, expecting the girl to be gone only for her to be right in her face, lips turned down into a snarl._

_“Where is it?” She growled._

_“Where’s what?” Cassandra asked smugly, smirk gracing her features._

_“You know exactly what I’m talking about you insolent little brat.”_

_Cassandra simply raised an eyebrow, she already had her body what more could she take from her? Cassandra screamed as sharp, cold claws raked across her mind, sinking in harshly wherever they touched, scouring for memories, looking for information. She gasped on the ground, her own hands pulling at her hair trying to get it to stop. The fog dispersed, creating a clear path to a wall, a hole in it. The pain stopped._

_“There it is. How clever of you to send it back to the boy.” The girl grabbed Cassandra’s chin, forcing her to look into her eyes. “But you must know, Cassandra, **a connection goes two ways.”** _


	13. Proposal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I promised Lance and Horace, but Horace demanded the whole chapter so there was really nothing I could do! Anyways I meant to say it after all the great tree fiasco but I forgot so I’ll say it here!! Thanks so much for everyone’s love towards this story I appreciate each and every one of y’all!!! Enjoy!!

Horace paced the room. Apparently we’ll discuss this at home, meant we’ll discuss this whenever I feel you’re worth my time. He had been waiting in his father’s study for hours, pacing, sitting, staring aimlessly at celling, and pacing again. He groaned, making his way to the door when the building shook. He quickly changed his course to the window, cursing under his breath at the sight of the black rocks. He bolted down the hall and around the corridors, nearly knocking over some castle staff in his mad dash. He muttered an apology over his shoulder, continuing on his mission to the medical wing. He slammed through the doors, startling the group that had gathered around Varian. 

“What’s going on?” He asked, demanded, eyes flickering with concern at Varian’s pale complexion and the chains around his wrists. 

“The moonstone is resurfacing.” His mother answered, her own concern evident on her face. 

“Isn’t that a good thing?” Horace asked, leaning towards where Varian lay, wincing at the sight of the shattered stone glowing beneath his skin. It looked more than slightly uncomfortable. “Can’t we just remove it?” 

“Doctor?” Minerva asked, tilting her head in a way that caused her long hair to cover the stone. She quickly moved it, draping it over her other shoulder. The doctor made his way over, removing the fabric of Varian’s shirt. 

“It should be possible, although the smaller pieces pose a problem. It should be doable.” The doctor said, nodding his head. 

“Then what are we waiting for?” Edmund questioned, giving his permission to proceed. The doctor slipped on his gloves and picked up a scalpel. 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, we’re doing this now?” Horace asked, pulling the doctors arm back. 

“Horace, wait outside.” Edmund ordered. Horace fought the urge to roll his eyes, releasing the doctor’s arm and making his way to the door. He avoided his mother’s touch, dodging her outstretched hand with ease. He didn’t dare look at her concerned face, lest his resolve break. He knew he had her support, he knew he had her approval, now he needed to gain his father’s. His hand hovered over the handle, frozen for a second wondering if his father’s approval was worth sacrificing everything he had built over these past months. He’d most likely have to give up his relationships with Lance and Cassandra. Who knows what would happen to Varian, if he survived would Quirin stick around? And Rapunzel, she would be sent back to Corona. Regardless of what became of her father, that was her kingdom, it was her home. He’d lose her, one way or another. Unless she renounced her title, and he couldn’t ask that of her. But he could renounce his. He’d lose everything he had ever known, he’d have to start from scratch. No, not from scratch, he’d have Lance, and Cassandra, and most importantly he’d have Rapunzel. He turned, all previous thoughts being wiped from his mind. Bright blue lightening shot from Varian’s chest, sending the scalpel flying. It imbedded itself in the door where he stood, ignoring the sting of his cheek eyes solely focused on the bright green bottle that had fallen from his father’s pocket. 

“Horace!” Minerva gasped, running over to him and cupping his face, turning it to get a better look at the cut. 

He removed her hands, giving them a quick kiss to let her know he was fine, and turned his attention to his father. “Dad, what’s that?” 

“It’s nothing.” Edmund answered moving to pick it up. 

Horace was faster picking up the bottle. He had a feeling he knew what it was, what it was for. His father always got desperate when it came to matters regarding the moonstone. Following his instincts he chucked the bottle against the wall. It shattered easily, the liquid bubbling and sizzling destroying anything it came in contact with. “That’s nothing? That doesn’t look like nothing, Father! What is it for? Why did you have it?” 

“It’s none of your concern! Horace-“ 

Horace cut him off before he could finish. He was getting really sick of this ‘I know better than you’ bullshit. “You’re right, you’re absolutely right. Why don’t you tell Quirin how you planned to use this on his son? Or am I wrong?” 

“Edmund, is that true?” Quirin asked, standing from where he sat at Varian’s head, placing a protective hand on his shoulder. 

Horace couldn’t suppress the smug grin from sliding onto his face as his father shot him a warning glare. “I never intended to use it, it was-“ 

“A safety precaution?” Hector echoed the king’s words from earlier. Horace noticed each of his uncles had varying degrees of anger and disappointment on their faces. Adira mirroring them. 

“A last ditch effort. Should Frederic invade Selene.” Edmund explained, not able to meet any of their gazes. 

“So you would sacrifice my son’s life?” Quirin argued, fists shaking at his sides. 

“It was his or hundreds! I was taking the necessary steps to protect my people, my family!” 

“By taking away  _ mine?!”  _

“We are all part of the brotherhood, is Varian not family to you?” Minerva chimed in, eyes full of hurt and disappointment in her husband. She expertly moved herself between Varian and Edmund. 

“Remove the chains. Have the boy brought to the nearest room to Quirin’s. He will recover there as it seems there is nothing else we can do for him here.” Edmund ordered, all the exhaustion of the past months showing clearly on his face. “Adira, Hector, guard our nephew. Quirin, just be with your son.” 

The three knights bowed, waiting for the rest of the staff to complete their assigned tasks. Minerva turned to Edmund and Horace, arms crossed and a frown on her face. “The three of us need to talk.” She left no room for argument, knowing fully well that the men would follow her as she left the room. Horace swallowed thickly, perhaps he had made a mistake. It was one thing when his father was upset with him, but when his mother was upset she was unpredictable. And no matter the outcome he always felt as if he’d lost. He took a small amount of comfort in the fact that his father looked just as scared as he did. She lead them back to the study Horace had already spent so much of his day in. She made her way around the desk and shuffled around in one of the drawers, pulling out a small box which she tossed to Edmund. He caught it with some difficulty. 

“Open it.” She ordered, impatiently tapping her fingers against her arm. Edmund did so, confused as he pulled out a simple silver bracelet with runes etched into it. 

“What is it?” Edmund dared to ask. 

“A safety precaution. A  real safety precaution.” She elaborated upon their blank stares. “It’s an inhibitor. It’s reduces the moonstone’s power, makes it more manageable. He can learn to control it in small doses and when he’s ready it comes off.” 

“Minerva, why-“ 

“Why didn’t I tell you? Because I knew you wouldn’t listen. You only see the moonstone for the bad things it can do. You want to destroy it. It can be used for good, Edmund. Nothing is inherently evil.  _ Varian _ can use it for good.” 

“Minerva, I’m sorry. I should’ve talked to you.” Edmund apologized, handing her the bracelet back. 

“You’re right. You should have. But it’s not me you need to apologize to. Quirin will not forgive you so easily.” Minerva turned to Horace, placing the bracelet in his hand. He blinked confused by her actions. “You’re going to teach Varian.” 

“Wait, what?” Horace stepped back, looking at the bracelet as if it had burned him. 

“You want to prove you’re ready for more responsibility, ready to be entrusted with more. You must earn your place in the brotherhood before you can become king. You want to prove you are ready, teach him to use the moonstone for good. Prove your father wrong. Prove the world wrong.” Minerva explained, tightening his hand around the bracelet. He nodded, determination filling his eyes. “Besides you already have a head start. He trusts you, doesn’t he?” 

“Yeah. He does.” Horace mused, bringing the bracelet to the light. It reflected off the runes like stars in the night sky. He smiled brightly. He would do this. He would succeed and he would prove to everyone he was more than just a stuck up prince.  _And when he was ready he’d be king._


	14. Her

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I struggled a bit with the title and the ending a bit but I hope it’s okay! Enjoy!!

Lance followed Cassandra closely. He had been following her after she returned to the castle after she disappeared from the medical wing in the night. He just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong with her, especially since she returned with a very old, very creepy looking book. No one in their right mind would take a midnight stroll after having passed out in a large mysterious tree, after pulling a magical feat like none he had ever seen, only to return with that creepy ass book that looked like it could summon a demon just by looking at it funny. No whatever Cassandra was up to it couldn’t be good. He just needed to figure out what it was.

He pressed himself against the wall, peeking around the corner as she came to a stop in front of a guard. She whispered something to him. Lance frowned as the guard slumped forward and she propped him against the wall taking the keys from his pocket. He barely had enough time to tuck his head around the corner before she spotted him. He breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the door open and close. The sigh quickly turned to a gasp. He had scouted the castle upon arriving. It was always good to know one’s possible escape routes should something go wrong. And he knew for a fact that the door led to the dungeons, the dungeons where a certain king was currently being held. He needed to find Horace, whatever Cassandra was planning was definitely not good. He hoped that was wrong, he hoped that he caught her in time, he hoped she could still be stopped. 

He ran as fast as his feet would carry him, moving along the familiar route to Horace’s room. He didn’t bother knocking, just swinging the door open. Horace dropped the books he was carrying along with a bracelet, the metal clanging against the floor. “Lance!” Horace yelled, hand over his heart. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m sorry, but there’s more important things going on right now.” Lance explained hurriedly, shutting the door behind him. He crossed the room at record speed, gripping Horace’s shoulders tightly. “Cassandra’s up to something-“ 

“She’s always up to something.” Horace rolled his eyes and shook himself out of Lance’s grasp. He picked up the bracelet and dusted it off. 

“This is different! She’s planning something bad, I saw-“ 

“Everything she does is bad if you ask me.” Horace laughed, inspecting the piece of metal further. 

Lance was fuming, anything he said was just being dismissed. He hated it. It made him feel unimportant, it reminded him of his days in the orphanage. “Would you shut up and listen to me for one second, Flynn?!” 

“Flynn?” Horace echoed back, and it was only then that Lance realized his mistake. Despite the initial shock of his mistake, he pushed down the unpleasant feelings that started to resurface. They didn’t have time to deal with his underlying problem of having his best friend betray him, only to gain a new best friend that looked exactly like his old best friend. It was too much to unpack right now and there were more pressing matters. 

“It-it doesn’t matter.” He started, not able to bring himself to look at Horace. 

“Lance, if you’re hurting it does matter.” Horace responded, placing a hand on his shoulder. 

“Not when Cassandra just broke into the dungeons!” Lance retorted, eyes frantically scanning Horace’s. 

“What?!” Horace yelled, pacing the room and pulling at his hair for a second before turning back to Lance. “You go find my dad or mom and tell them. I need to find Rapunzel.” 

Lance gave a brief nod of confirmation, before heading back out into the hall, Horace heading in the opposite direction. They couldn’t let go through with whatever she was planning. Whether it be for her own safety or theirs. 

*************

She glided down the steps with ease, smirking over her shoulder. Of course she had noticed the buffoon following her, but soon it wouldn’t be her problem. She would be moving on to a different vessel, leaving just enough influence behind so that she may return when the time came. The princess would find the scroll for her, and she had no doubt that she would take Cassandra with her. Once the scroll was in her grasp she could return and finish what she started. She just had to be patient and she was nothing if not patient. 

The dungeons were fairly empty, only a prisoner or two amongst the cells, making it simple to find the one she desired. He was in an area all by himself, because of course he was. She rolled the eyes not belonging to her, when had mortals become so predictable? 

She tapped her fingernail on the cell of the fallen king, not bothering for him to reply before speaking. “I have a proposition for you.” She said, letting her own accented voice take over Cassandra’s completely. He didn’t respond only eyeing her suspiciously. She sighed, why couldn’t people just cooperate with her? She leaned casually against the cell. “Do you wish to hear it or not? I do have much more important things to be doing.” 

“Are you going to let me out?” 

She laughed. “Of course not. What use are you to me if I have to do everything myself?” She laughed louder at his glare. “You let yourself out and I will return the moonstone to you.” 

“What are your terms?” 

She turned to face him, wide smile splitting her features. “I’m so glad you asked! All you have to do is cause the clash between the sun and the moon.” 

***************

Horace skidded to a stop, swinging Rapunzel’s door open as Lance has done to his. The room was empty. “Blondie!” There was no response just like he feared. She could be anywhere. He wasn’t sure what compelled him to look out the window but he was glad he did. He couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. She was in the street below talking to people and helping clear the rubble. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, looking up a hand blocking the sun from her eyes. Their eyes met despite their distance. She gave him a small wave, which he quickly returned. She laughed, and while there was no way for him to have heard it he could certainly imagine what it sounded like. He lost himself in the moment only remembering when he heard guards frantically making their way by. He pushed himself away from the window resuming his mad dash to the princess. As soon as he exited the castle walls he was bombarded with questions. 

“Your majesty, what was that?”

“Are we safe?” 

“The rocks can only mean the moonstone is close!” 

“Are we being invaded?” 

“What is happening?” 

He took a hesitant step back. They hadn’t made an official announcement on anything yet. He wasn’t sure what he could say. He was thankful when Rapunzel pushed her way through the crowd, pulling his hand into hers and giving it a comforting squeeze. He gave her a quick nod of thanks. “There is no need to worry.” He spoke, waiting for the noise to die down before continuing. “We have the situation under control.” 

“Then why did the moonstone attack?” 

“It was defending itself, but we have the situation under control now. The moonstone is back in our possession.” The crowd erupted into cheers and Horace took the opportunity to pull Rapunzel back inside the castle walls. 

“How exactly do we have the situation under control?” She asked, hand still in his. 

“We don’t, not in the slightest. Varian’s condition is still up in the air. The moonstone is still broken, but it’s trying to resurface, we have know way of knowing what that’s doing to him. But should- when he wakes up, I’m going to train him to use the stone.” He held up the bracelet for her to see, watching as she frowned turning it over in her hands. She made a face handing it back just as quickly as she took it. 

“It won’t hurt him, will it?” She asked, concern and dare he say guilt in her eyes. 

“No. My mother would never suggest something that would harm him.” She nodded softly. He gently lifted her chin to look at him. “Uh, there is one more thing. Cass was spotted heading into the dungeons where your dad is being kept.” 

“What?!” She yelled, pushing passed him and making her way inside. He trailed after her, hoping the guards were able to stop Cassandra before she did anything stupid. Apparently that was too much to ask, the guards were escorting her to a room, he was thankful it wasn’t the dungeons at least, with her hands behind her back. Her eyes were glassy and unfocused, but they lit up when they spotted Rapunzel. She broke free, grabbing Rapunzel’s shoulders and shaking her lightly. 

“Raps! Please, listen to me. It wasn’t me, she’s inside my head. She’s coming for Varian next.” Cassandra pleaded, the guards pulling her away again. “Please, you can’t let her. She’s going to take the moonstone! She’s going to kill him, Raps! She’s coming for you! She’ll stop at nothing! Nothing!” 

“Cass!” Rapunzel called, grabbing one of her hands briefly. 

Horace watched the scene unfold with wide eyes. He was never Cassandra’s biggest fan, but she seemed legitimately crazy this time. Whatever happened to her in the great tree must have been pretty serious for her to go off her rocker mad. Rapunzel’s eyes were just as wide, although there was concern and worry in them. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay, Blondie. We’ll figure it out, we always do.” 

Rapunzel just nodded, fidgeting with something in her hand. He would ask her about it later, right now he needed to make sure Varian was safe. If Cassandra’s rant was to be believed than the boy was in more danger than he could have imagined. And he was determined to keep him and Rapunzel safe.  _ He wasn’t going to let anything bad happen to them again, his own life be damned.  _


	15. False Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Var’s first meeting with ZT! I think anyways! I can’t keep track of what I’ve written, probably should’ve made an outline for this... This was also not supposed to take the whole chapter, but there was nothing I could do once ZT takes over lol! Enjoy!!!

_ Varian’s eyes blinked open. He hadn’t even realized he had fallen asleep, was it even possible to fall asleep in this hellish dreamscape? He remembered his conversation with Cassandra, it was hard to forget, then pain a lot of pain, and then he was here. At least he recognized this place. His blue eyes stared at the broken moon above. The water had followed him here, soaking uncomfortably into his clothes as he laid in it. He didn’t have the strength to move, his chest hurt too much, and he was tired, so very tired. He closed his eyes, tears he didn’t even know where there joining the water. And once he was made aware of there presence he couldn’t stop them from flowing, causing ripples in the water. He curled in on himself, letting the sobs have their way. He was pathetic. It was no wonder everyone he met only cared about the moonstone. He was nothing without it, he was nothing with it. No matter how much he grew, how much he fought, how much he tried to be more, he’d always be that useless empty doll Rapunzel found in the dungeons. He wished Cassandra would have taken the moonstone. She could’ve done something great with it, she wouldn’t have let anyone push her around. But no, she insisted he needed to keep it, keep it safe. How could he do that when he couldn’t even keep himself safe? When he was falling apart at the seams? He was drowning and no matter how he called no one was going to save him.  _

_ His sobs turned to coughs, irritating his chest further. He forced his eyes open, scrambling backwards at the sight of the terrible green fog that had covered Cassandra’s mind. It was just as suffocating here as it had been there, like his body was trying to reject any of it that dare try to worm its way into his lungs. There was a girl, floating on top of it, her figure blue and transparent as if she herself didn’t belong. She stopped in front of him, the fog halting as well, it encircled him but none of it touched him. It was almost as if there was a barrier between them, something protecting him from it. She stepped down from her cloud, still hovering, a wide smile on her face.  _

_ “Oh, **sweet child,** who has hurt you so?” She cooed, although it sounded more mocking than comforting coming from her. She floated over to him, whatever was keeping the fog away had no effect on her.  _

_ “N-no one.” He stuttered. It was true, he had been the only one to cause his hurt. Everything was **his** fault.  _

_ She clicked her tongue, reaching forward to cup his face. It sent chills down his spine, but still he leaned into it. “I can take that hurt away.”  _

_ “You-you can?” He asked, leaning further into her touch, not noticing the fog creeping closer.  _

_“I can. All you have to do is let me in.” She said, smile growing wider. He felt his breathing start to even out, his eyes drooping closed. He wanted to give in so bad, but Cassandra’s warning rang through his head. He couldn’t trust her, he couldn’t trust **anyone** anymore. _

_He pulled his head away, eyes glowing dangerously. “No! I-I can’t trust you!” He swept his arm out, black rocks forming an actual barrier against the fog. It did nothing to the girl, however, she floated through the rocks, stopping in front of him once again._

_“Then why do you trust **her**?” She was circling him. He moved frantically trying to keep her in his sight, failing drastically. _

_“I-“_

_“Didn’t she tell you, you can’t trust her? What has she done to earn your trust anyways? She’s done nothing but hurt you.”_

_“That’s not true! Cass-“_

_The girl was in front of him suddenly, face so close their noses were touching. “Isn’t it?” He scrambled back, falling onto his butt, he hadn’t even realized he had been standing. “She turned you into the guards! She knocked you out when you tried to avenge the princess! She probably told the king of your whereabouts! She **forced** you to take the moonstone! She knew what that entailed, she knew what she was subjecting you to. You didn’t want to and she **made** you.” _

_“No-“ He pushed himself back to his feet, stepping back as she floated forward._

_“No? How is she different than the rest? How are any of your so called friends different from the Saporians, from Frederic?” She was snarling now, each question she got closer to him, each question he took a step back._

_“They aren’t-“ He was trying desperately to keep up with her pace, almost stumbling over his own feet at each step._

_“They aren’t like that? Oh, dear, I’ve heard it all before, every excuse you could **possibly** come up with. It doesn’t excuse their behavior, whatever their intentions. The fact remains is **they** hurt you, they all hurt you, and they want you to keep hurting. I want you to be free. Give me the moonstone and you will never suffer again. You can live your life in peace. You can be **free**.” _

_He didn’t know when he stopped moving, his hand clutched protectively over his chest, over the moonstone. The tears had returned, streaming freely the longer the conversation went on. “I-“_

_She placed a finger over his lips, shushing him in an almost mother like way. “No more excuses, no more thinking. What do **you** want?” _

_Varian stared back wide eyed at the question. Had anyone ever asked him what he wanted before? Had he ever had a choice? Did he even know what he wanted? He did. He wanted to be free, to stop hurting, to be normal. He wanted the moonstone gone, he wanted to be safe with Rapunzel and his dad and Horace and Cassandra and Lance. He wanted his friends back. He wanted his family back. He stiffened as the girl stroked his hair in a mock form of comfort as he shook with sobs. He so badly wanted to be selfish, but if he wanted his family back, truly wanted them back, he couldn’t put them in danger. He still didn’t know if he could trust them, didn’t know if they truly cared, despite that he didn’t want them to get hurt because of him. He had seen what happened when he wanted them to suffer and he never wanted to cause that again, he refused. So he made a decision, perhaps the stupidest most irrational decision he ever made, but he made it all on his own and he’d own the consequences._

_He stepped back from her a new fury alight in his eyes. “I want you **out** of my head!” He felt the moonstone’s power surge in his chest. He took a confident step forward, rocks sprouting with every step. “I want my family back! I want to be free on my **own** terms! I want to be in control! I want to be my own person! I won’t be a tool anymore! Not by **you** , not by Rapunzel, not by Cassie, or Andrew, or Frederic! I’m taking control of my own fate and you **can’t** stop me!” _

_The rocks now covered the landscape purged of the green fog. Although they still had no effect on the girl. She stood patiently, hands clasped in front of her. She clicked her tongue in annoyance causing Varian’s cheeks to flush red with embarrassment. He felt like a child being berated by a parent, like he was being talked down to and not taken seriously._

_The girl’s words only confirmed that was her intention. “Are you done throwing your little temper tantrum?” Varian swallowed thickly any previous confidence being wiped away by her undermining behavior. It was pathetic, really, how fast he turned back into that doll he’d sworn to leave behind so long ago. Ever eager to please, ever eager to serve for just a scrap of attention. He didn’t give her a verbal expression, his silence serving as his answer. She smiled coldly, any warmth it previously wiped from existence. “Good. Since you want to make this difficult,”_

_He didn’t have time to react before she was in front of him again, her little gloved hand reaching for his chest. “I’ll just take the stone for myself.” He gasped, not from pain, not completely anyway, but more from the odd uncomfortable feeling that surged from her hand going through him. His body shook, chills spreading rapidly along his skin as he tried to get her to stop. He tried to grab her hand, pull it away, but he went through her as she had him. So he was left squirming and struggling, gasping for air that he couldn’t quite get._

_“How **interesting**.” The girl mused, paying his discomfort no mind. “It seems the moonstone is rather attached to you. Quite literally.” Her laugh was piercing and did nothing to ease the unpleasantness of the situation. She removed her hand rather abruptly, Varian dropping to his knees greedily sucking in air. “No matter,” She wiped her hand on her dress as if she had touched something particularly foul. “You **will** cooperate when the time comes. **You won’t have a choice.”** _

_She grabbed his chin forcing him to look at her terrible little smile once more, her other hand twirling the blue streak in his hair between her fingers, suddenly able to touch him once again. “Goodbye for now, little moonstone. I will be back soon to collect what is mine.”_

_With one final laugh she pushed him back, sending him tumbling over an edge he didn’t even know was there. His screams were swallowed by the void, the only light being the broken moon above._

** _And his eyes opened for real this time, finally awakening from his sleep._ **


	16. Empty Threats?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe we’re at about the halfway point to this story! So I just wanted to say a quick thank you to everyone! I really appreciate all the support and love! This story has been an absolute monster and I can’t believe it started as a one shot! I never imagined it would turn into this! Thanks for sticking with me this far! I love you all! Also on autocorrect adventures: it tries to change Horace to Eugene! It’s like it knows! Enjoy!!!

Rapunzel fidgeted with the small slip of paper in her hand. After Cass had been dragged away her, Lance and Horace had retreated to Horace’s room, his parents stating they needed some time to discuss what they were going to do with Cassandra. Horace was laying in his bed tossing a bracelet in the air and catching it over and over as he ranted about something. She had tuned him out at some point. Maybe she should have listened, if she was a better friend she would have. Lance was pacing the room, occasionally supplying Horace with a response. She paid them no mind, however, her focus solely on the paper Cass handed her as she was being taken away. She hadn’t gathered the courage to open it, after her outburst she was scared of what it might contain. She slowly unfolded the paper, eyebrows knitting in confusion at the words it contained. 

“Who’s Zhan Tiri?” She asked, effectively ending whatever conversation Horace and Lance were having. 

“What?” Horace asked, sitting up and sliding to the edge of his bed. 

“Cass gave me this paper as she was being taken away, all it says on it is Zhan Tiri.” She explained. It wasn’t a lie, well not a complete lie, she just chose to leave out the part that had a time on it. Which she assumed meant she was supposed to meet Cass at that time, how she was going to do it she didn’t know, but she was fairly certain she was supposed to go alone. 

“I think he was an evil sorcerer.” Lance answered, rolling his eyes at the glances shot his way. “Your uncle told me about him. He said  _ you _ should have told us about him because apparently the great tree was his stronghold.”

Horace rolled his eyes. “Of course Hector would tell you that. Zhan Tiri is nothing more than a fairytale parents tell their children to get them to behave. Besides Cass clearly said that  she was in her head and Zhan Tiri was a  _ sorcerer _ _,_ not a  _ sorceress .”  _

Rapunzel fidgeted with the paper some more, discarding it on her lap in favor of playing with her hair. “Maybe it’s best we return to the great tree then. We never did find the missing piece to the scroll.” 

“That’s great and all, but last time we were there it didn’t exactly go that well. I think it would do us better to research what we can here before heading back out there. I mean, Matthews is a sorcerer, he might know something about all this.” Horace said, crossing the room to her. 

Rapunzel sighed. “I guess you’re right. I just want this all to be over.” 

Despite Horace being closer Lance was first to wrap her in a tight hug. He patted the top of her head affectionately. “Oh, Rapunzel, me too! But we’re here for you. And never forget you are strong and brave and selfless and the most amazing person I have ever met. And I do mean  _ ever .”  _

Rapunzel laughed eagerly returning the hug, and wiping away the tears that started to well in her eyes. “Thanks, Lance.” 

“You know as your best friend I’m trying not to take offense to that, but he does have a point, Blondie. If anyone can get us through this it’s you.” Horace chimed in, yelping as Lance pulled him into their hug. Rapunzel smiled to herself. She wished she could stay in this moment forever, but that was not the case. There was a knock at the door followed by a guard opening it. He bowed before delivering his news. 

“Your majesty, the boy has awoken. Should I escort you to his chambers?” The guard asked. Horace removed himself from their hug jotting something on a piece of paper and handing it to the guard. 

“No. Slip this under the door, Quirin will seek me out when he’s ready, for now he needs some time alone with his son.” Horace instructed, shutting the door again as the guard left. “So, who wants to raid the kitchen and have a sleepover? I don’t know about the two of you but all this stress has done nothing for my wrinkles. I’m in desperate need of a facial.” 

Rapunzel sighed, she so wished she could stay but she had somewhere to be. “As amazing as that sounds I’m pretty tired. I think I’m just going to turn in early. You guys have fun though.” 

“You sure, Blondie?” Horace asked, moving her hair out of her face. 

“I’m sure.” She said rising from her seat as Horace placed a kiss on her forehead. She exited the room swiftly. She knew she wouldn’t be able to get into the room they were holding Cass in by using the front entrance so she made her way outside. It was pretty easy to spot Cass’s room, the window lit up with an eerie green light instead of the soft yellow lighting she was used to. If she angled it just right she was sure she could wrap her hair around the railing. She picked up a small pebble and threw it lightly at the window. She didn’t have to wait long for Cassandra to open it. 

She smiled and waved up at her. “Cassandra, let down your hair!” She called, voice teasing. It was hard to see the other girl’s expression now that it had gotten dark out, but she did she her shake her head in what she hoped was a fond gesture. She undid her hair, grabbing a strand and throwing it towards her friend. It took her a few tries to get it, Cassandra holding onto it as she made her way up. She finally made it to the top, slightly out of breath. “Hey, Cass.” 

“You came.” Cassandra breathed out, wrapping Rapunzel in a hug. Rapunzel returned it albeit hesitantly. “I-I didn’t think you would. I don’t know how much time we have, but I need you to listen to me. And please, take every word I say seriously.” 

“I’ll try my best.” Rapunzel agreed, Cassandra’s eyes searching her for a second before she nodded sadly. Now that she could see her friend clearly she could see the bags under her eyes, her tousled hair, as if she had been pulling at it. Her fingernails were chewed and her eyes darted all about as if looking for something that wasn’t there. 

“You got my note?” Rapunzel nodded as an answer to Cassandra’s question. “Good. Then you already know the culprit is Zhan Tiri. I didn’t get long to look into her mind, but she’s planning something big. She mentioned to me that she wanted the moonstone, I think she wants the sundrop too. Like I said, I didn’t get much just something about causing a clash between the sun and moon, and I was holding this book when I came to.” She handed the worn book over to Rapunzel. “I don’t know what she wanted with your father though.” 

Rapunzel turned the book over in her hands, this wasn’t making sense to her, and Cass’s explanation only raised more questions. “Cass, this doesn’t make sense.” 

“I know it’s asking a lot, but you have to trust me, Raps.” Cassandra said, eyes pleading with hers. 

“Then you know why I can’t.” Rapunzel responded sadly. As much as she wanted to there were too many blank spaces. 

“Rapunzel, please, Zhan Tiri-“ 

“Zhan Tiri isn’t real. And-and the stories all state Zhan Tiri is a sorcerer, not sorceress. It-it just doesn’t make sense. Please just drop this. We can figure out how to get you help.” Rapunzel pleaded. 

“I don’t need help. I’m not crazy. You and Varian- varian! Varian can tell you! I told him! You’ll have to believe both of us.” Cass said, a new determination burning in her eyes. 

“It doesn’t matter what you told him! We fought! The sun and moon clashed, or whatever, it’s over Cassandra. I-I think I hurt him. I can’t hurt him anymore.” 

“Then listen to me! Trust me, Raps! Why would I make this up?!” Cassandra sounded desperate now, the green flame flickering in a way that made Rapunzel want to run. 

“I’ll think about it.” She decided, feeling it was the best way to appease Cassandra without guaranteeing anything. She held the book close to her chest as she made her way to the balcony. 

“Don’t take too long, little sundrop. You don’t want the moonstone to pay for your mistakes, now do you?” Rapunzel’s eyes widened, but Cassandra was still looking at her with those pleading eyes seemingly frozen in place. Perhaps she imagined the words, perhaps she was just that paranoid, or maybe it was the lack of sleep catching up to her. Whatever it was she didn’t like it. Whatever it was it didn’t matter, she knew a threat when she heard one. 

***************

Stalyan paced the throne room. It had been some time since she had gotten word that they had taken Equis, and still no further news of their progress had come. She was starting to worry, it was only right for a queen to worry about her king. Her eyes snapped up as the door opened, a guard running inside. 

“Your majesty, a letter from King Edmund of Selene.” He handed her the letter, which she ripped from his grasp. She opened it quickly and read it just as fast, a smile spreading across her face. She dismissed the guard, kicking the man that was sound asleep at her feet. 

“Brock, dear, how about one last heist for old times sake?” She teased as he looked up at her, snapping to attention at her words. 

“No way! Whatever it is our business begun and ended with the kid.” He argued, he didn’t want to have to put his moral compass in jeopardy anymore. 

“It’s cute that you think you have a choice. I’m the queen now. If you refuse, that’s treason.” She said simply, smug grin pulling at her lips. She relished how he shrunk back in fear. She would be taking her king back and the moonstone.  _ If she was lucky she’d be taking Selene too.  _


	17. Deserved

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got long, like really long, by my standards anyways! Another familiar face appears, but it’s mostly emotional stuff! I hope the first part makes sense, or like doesn’t make sense in a good way? Let me know lol! Enjoy!!

Varian’s screams followed him into the waking world as he thrashed about trying to get his bearings. He was falling, except he wasn’t, but something soft was restricting his movements, something that wasn’t supposed to be there. So he pushed away from it, only to fall, or keep falling, or fall again. He didn’t know, all he saw was red. He was scared, he was disoriented, everything was too much right now. He landed harshly on the ground, the feeling bringing awareness to the stiffness in his muscles, the pain in his chest, the pain was everywhere and it was spreading, and it hurt, why did it hurt so much? But then it didn’t, had it ever? 

A hand entered his vision, a hand reaching through him, a hand around his throat, a hand pushing him down into the water, a hand offering false comfort. And he couldn’t breathe, the hand was restricting his airways, but the water was filling his lungs, but that didn’t make sense because the water was poisoned, he drank it, he knew. He wanted to scream and cry, but he couldn’t, but wasn’t he? But he wasn’t because he was laughing, why was he laughing? Nothing about this was funny, but maybe he wanted it to be, because at least when he was laughing he was feeling something besides the pain. The pain was always there, always would be. He couldn’t hide it, he couldn’t bury it, he couldn’t get it to stop. He needed it to stop. 

And then it did. It was only for a second but it was enough to clear the red from his vision. A pair of arms were wrapped around him, not tightly, in fact they were barely touching him, just enough to ground him. He reached out and grabbed one of the arms, fingers shaking as he dug them into the skin like his life depended on it. It was the only thing keeping him afloat right now. His vision was hazy and unfocused, but at least there was no more red. He realized that he was in fact crying, he was shaking, each breath hitching in his chest uncomfortably. 

“Varian.” His head snapped up at his name, because that was his name and this person knew him and he was still trying to decide if that was good or bad. He blinked trying to clear his vision, trying to focus on whoever was talking to him. “It’s okay. You’re safe.” 

He wanted to laugh, and maybe he did, he had been told that before. So many times and rarely was it ever true. He wasn’t safe and he most certainly wasn’t okay. His memories and dreams all swirled together and he wasn’t sure what was even real right now. His fingers dug further into the arm. This was real, whoever it belonged to was real. The words were not. Words were never real. They could be twisted and manipulated into so many horrible things despite the innocence of them. So he focused on the arm, because one could not lie with their actions, only their words. 

“Varian.” The voice said again. He squeezed his eyes shut, he didn’t want to hear it. He couldn’t take another lie. 

_ “Please stop.” _ He choked out, and they did, for that he was grateful. He didn’t know how long they sat there, one hand still gripping the arm, his other hand working its way into the soft fabric that was still wrapped around his legs. He focused on his breathing, not on the pain, not on the confusion in his head. He focused on the things that were real, the things he could feel. And whoever the arm belonged to must’ve been a good person because they sat as long as he needed, not saying a word. Finally he opened his eyes again, starting at the ground. His hand there released the blanket, that’s all it had been, a blanket, that was okay. He took a steadying breath before looking to his other hand, his knuckles white from how hard he was gripping it. He loosened his grip, but didn’t let go. Small crescent moons left behind from where his fingernails had dug in. His eyes traced the path up the arm and to the person’s face. All his previous work to get his breathing right was thrown out the window as his eyes locked with his father’s. 

“Dad?” He asked, shaking and vision blurring with tears once more. His father looks torn, like he wasn’t sure if he should answer vocally or not. Instead he took one of his hands and gently cupped his cheek, thumb wiping away any of the tears that fell. Varian leaned into the touch, not caring how his calloused hands felt rough and scratchy against his skin. It didn’t make sense why he was here. Last time they saw each other he tried to kill him, he  _ wanted _ to hurt him, so why would he be here now? He wanted to know, he  _ needed _ to know. “Why? Why are you here? I-I tried to hurt you! I _wanted_ you to suffer! Why?” 

“Because I love you.” Varian blinked rapidly, pushing himself out of his father’s arms. It didn’t make sense. After everything he did, after everything he  _ was _ , how could someone love him? He had never heard those words before, not directed at him anyways. If he was deserving of love surely he’d have heard them by now. Why hadn’t he heard them before? 

“I-I don’t understand.” He couldn’t wrap his head around the concept. He had done nothing to deserve his love, and yet those words were for him. It didn’t make sense. Why didn’t it make sense? 

But his dad just laughed, why did he laugh? This wasn’t funny. “There’s nothing to understand. It’s just a feeling. There’s no rhyme or reason. You just know that you’d do anything for that person.” 

The words made him more confused. Everything had a reason. It had to. But feelings often didn’t, did they? Was he capable of love? All he had known was fear, and sadness, and pain, so much pain. Could he even love? He needed to know that too. “Do I love you?” 

His dad smiled sadly. Why was he sad all of the sudden? “I don’t know. Only you can answer that. It’s okay if you don’t.”

He didn’t like that answer, he didn’t like how sad his dad looked giving it. But he had said that love was doing anything for the other person and he had sacrificed himself so his dad could be free. He willingly gave himself over to Frederic so his dad might have a chance. He didn’t think when he did it, he just did. Because, because..... “I-I think... I love you.” 

The words felt right, they made sense, despite the fact that they didn’t. This time it was his father who was crying. He paid no mind to the boundaries that Varian had set up and pulled him into his arms. “I love you too. I love you so much, son.” 

Varian decided he didn’t mind the tightness of the hug, or the way his dad’s tears fell into his hair, or how his arms were uncomfortably tucked between them. He also decided that he quite liked this, and maybe, just maybe _he_ _deserved this._

************

Matthews didn’t know what Zhan Tiri was planning, but ultimately it didn’t matter. He was loyal to his master as cryptic as she could be sometimes. It had been fairly easy to get to Corona, traveling typically was when one could shed their physical form at will. Quite frankly it would have been easy if he hadn’t. For all his work to expand, the tyrant king left his land mostly unguarded. It was ironic, really. 

His desired location was left just as unguarded as the rest of the land. The chamber of his old master, still had lingering magic in the air. He supposed it would have to, to keep his sister imprisoned. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. For all his teachings and all his lessons he had still refused to teach any of them what they desired most to know. It’s why they had deferred to Zhan Tiri, she taught them anything they desired all she asked for in return was their loyalty. It hadn’t been a problem for him or Sugracha, apparently it had been for Gothel. But it wouldn’t be for her daughter she lost her choice as soon as she came to him for help. And now that Sugracha would be freed the moonstone and sundrop wouldn’t have a choice either. 

**************

Varian couldn’t sleep. No matter how much he tossed and turned he just couldn’t. He was exhausted both physically and mentally, but the moon was shining through the window in an almost mocking way. After their little heart to heart his father had insisted he clean up, so after a much needed bath and change of clothes he was able to get something to eat. He hadn’t been allowed much, just a piece of bread, a slice of cheese, and a few apple slices. He was still hungry, his dad said he couldn’t have more than that since he hadn’t really been eating properly more would just make him sick. He didn’t drink the offered water, he didn’t trust it, he couldn’t trust it. 

Sighing he kicked his blankets off, swinging his feet over the side of the bed. His father was asleep on the other side of the bed, insisting to stay with him. Varian didn’t argue, in fact he quite enjoyed the comfort, it just made sneaking out of the room harder. He padded lightly across the room, the bottoms of his pants dragging. He cast another glance at his dad to make sure he was still asleep before opening the door, which thankfully didn’t creak. He shut it just as quietly. The halls were dimly lit, the odd candle at each corner to provide light for the staff that was active in the night. It hadn’t taken him long to figure out they were in Selene. It only made sense, it’s where Frederic was heading and it was where his dad was from. 

He caught sight of his reflection in one of the mirrors he was passing, quickly averting his eyes. He had seen what a mess he looked like when he had bathed and he did not need a reminder of that. Bruises and cuts littered his body, the most prominent ones being the finger shaped ones on his neck. His eyes had dark circles under them, making them look larger than they were. He was skinny, too skinny, his ribs sticking out underneath his shirt. And then there was that ever present eerie blue glow that came from underneath the skin that covered his chest. It made him look paler than he was and he hated everything he saw in the mirror. 

He shook his head, purging the thoughts from his mind and focusing solely on finding his desired destination, the kitchen. As much as he refused the water he was terribly thirsty. He just couldn’t bring himself to drink the glass that sat on his nightstand, maybe he’d be able to if he got it himself, that way he knew for sure it hadn’t been tampered with. After a few wrong tries he finally found the kitchen. Thankfully the glasses were easier to find and the water even easier still. He filled the glass, head resting on the table as he eyed it. He touched the glass, the cool feeling sending chills up his arm. He wrapped his hand around it and brought it slowly to his lips. He hesitated. The water sloshed, spilling out of the glass and onto the floor. The hem of his pants and his feet caught in the crossfire. He hadn’t even realized he was shaking. He sighed placing the glass back down, this was ridiculous, he was being ridiculous. But every time the water got close he could only feel it filling his lungs, only see Andrew’s fake smile as he coaxed him to take another sip. He couldn’t let them win, he had to drink it. 

He took a deep breath grabbing the glass and forcing himself to empty its contents. It worked to an extent. It was in his mouth, but he gagged, not being able to swallow. He spit it out, leaning over the sink that was victim to his display. He sunk to the ground, defeated, he was pathetic. He ran a frustrated hand through his hair, bringing his knees to his chest. He didn’t get much time to think about much else when rustling came from one of the cabinets. 

“Hello?” He called, pushing himself to his feet. He slowly made his way over, grabbing the discarded glass as a weapon of sorts. His hand hovered over the handle for a moment before swinging the door open. He blinked rapidly at the raccoon that lifted its head to look at him, its head turned slightly to the side. It chittered angrily as if berating him for disturbing his midnight snack. He laughed, for real this time, and the raccoon had the audacity to look offended. “It’s okay. I’m hungry too. Want to split an apple?” 

That caught the raccoon’s attention. It chittered excitedly and climbed up onto the counter. Varian smiled, pulling a chair over and balancing precariously on it as he reached for the apples on the top shelf. He grabbed one, but not without spilling a few onto the floor. The raccoon gathered them rubbing its paws together greedily. “Not so fast. We can’t be selfish.” Varian chastised, taking the apples from the animal. The raccoon whimpered in response. Varian sighed. “Okay, you can have one. Just one! For yourself.” 

The chittering returned as it swiped an apple from Varian, patting his cheek as if to say thank you. Varian laughed, filling the glass again as he dug into his own apple. “Are you thirsty? I bet you are.” The raccoon chittered again, taking a healthy helping of the water. Varian watched, his own head tilting at the animals trusting nature. Maybe it only proves how paranoid he was being. He brought the glass to his lips, this time swallowing the water. It brought some much needed relief to his throat. He smiled to himself watching as the raccoon finished his snack. 

“Hey.” Varian called, gaining the animal’s attention. “You wouldn’t happen to know where the library is, would you?” 

The raccoon chittered again, jumping from the table and running down the hall. Varian stared in confusion for a second before it returned, chittering in annoyance and pointing with one of its paws. Varian pushed himself off his chair and followed the raccoon. He smiled to himself. He hoped things could stay like this. _He hoped he deserved that much._


	18. Who to Trust?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said we were about halfway through but all of the set up is taking longer than expected so we still might not be halfway? I really don’t know lol! Anyways a lot of introspection in this one! Enjoy!!!

Horace rose unusually early. The sun was barely starting to peek over the horizon. He yawned despite feeling quite refreshed and well rested. He hoped Rapunzel had gotten some much needed sleep as well. Part of him wanted to go wake her so he’d have someone to talk to and bounce ideas off of as he conducted his research, but that would just be selfish. Instead he got dressed and grabbed a cup of coffee from the kitchen before making his way to the library. He had a lot of work to do and he didn’t know how much time he had until Quirin would seek him out. He smiled at the sight on the other side of the door. Varian was sound asleep on one of the armchairs. His legs were curled up close to his body and his arm hung off the chair. His head rested on top of his arm, a book dangling precariously in his hand. His other arm was wrapped tightly around what looked to be a raccoon. Where he had found it he didn’t know, but the thing didn’t seem rabid so he supposed it was okay. Horace really wished he had woken up Rapunzel so she could draw this in her journal. He quickly pulled a blanket from the nearby linen closet, draping it over the boy. Varian unconsciously pulled it closer, mumbling something Horace didn’t quite catch. 

He took a sip of his drink, wrinkling his nose at the taste. He didn’t know why he insisted on drinking the beverage when he hated it. He set the cup down on a nearby table, scanning the various notes and books that littered its surface. They were all books he had read before, all books on the moonstone. He could barely make sense of the notes. Things were underlined, crossed out, circled, some things were written over completely, the lucky ones having question marks at the end. And all of it was written on the table, not a single piece of paper on it. Well, besides the paper in the books. He sighed flipping through one of them to notice writing in the margins. These notes were at least a little more legible. Still he’d have to have a serious talk with Varian about not writing on tables and in books. Maybe he’d get him a journal like Rapunzel’s. 

Horace tilted his head to the side, eyes catching two books that didn’t quite fit in with the others. One was a poetry book, the other was a spell book. Horace collected them, noticing another on the small table on the other side of the chair Varian was asleep in. He picked that one up too, it being an alchemy book. He set them down on the table flipping through them as well. They were just like the others, the margins written in, things scratched out and written over. The spell book held something different than the rest, the first blank page had what looked to be a spell. The penmanship was shaky, the lines wobbling as if he didn’t know if he should be writing it or not, but it was unmistakably Varian’s. Well he was fairly certain it was, given it matched the writing on all the other surfaces and the boy was currently the only other one in the library. He couldn’t tell what it was supposed to be, a poem perhaps? But it was in the spell book, so a spell made more sense. He didn’t know how Varian would get it though, the words didn’t really make sense and it gave no clue to what it could do. 

He traced the words with his fingers, determined to figure out if it did anything. “Wither and decay-“ The book in Varian’s hand dropped. The sound startling Horace, causing him to turn his head to the source. Varian’s eyes fluttered open for half a second before closing again. He didn’t get a good look at them, but he swore his eyes had been black. He closed the book, pushing it as far away from him as he could get it, he would not be messing with that anymore today. Instead he rose from his seat, grabbing the dropped book off the floor. He hadn’t paid attention before, but the floor around the chair was littered with balled up pieces of paper, some pieces torn to bits that resembled confetti. This book was the oddest of the group. It was a book on phobias. Some were circled, some pages missing completely, while others were just torn. The most concerning was the page in the middle. It had the words ‘am I broken?’ written all over it. Some were traced over multiple times, others had ‘broken’ circled, there was even a set of the words smack in the middle big and bold overlapping the rest. 

Horace bent down, stroking Varian’s hair. “Oh, kiddo, there is nothing wrong with you. You’re just a little hurt right now. But don’t worry, we’re all here for you.” He smoothed back his hair, placing a soft kiss to his forehead. He stood, taking the book with him as if removing the object would take the thoughts from the boy’s mind. 

His eyebrows knit together as a piece of paper fell from the book. He opened it carefully, fingers running over the torn edge of it, reading and rereading the paper to make sure he understood the words. They were written boldly, traced over so many times the words were smudged. ‘DO NOT TRUST HER’, stared back at him, but it was the words underneath that made his breath hitch. Circled underneath was a name he had grown to love, a name he never wanted to see in such a context. Next to the torn edge of the paper, Rapunzel’s name stared back at him. 

*************

Rapunzel hadn’t gotten much sleep. Her conversation with Cassandra weighing heavily on her mind. It held so many implications, and if she was right her father was the least of their worries. If she was wrong she still risked putting everyone in harms way. She needed to talk to Varian. If Cass was right and he knew something it could be important, but he wasn’t exactly a reliable source of information either. There was also the fact that he had been none too happy to see her. She repressed a shiver that ran up her spine from the memory of his black eyes, the glowing crack, the blood, the tears, the laugh. She couldn’t get his laugh out of her head. How it was twisted and full of malice, nothing like the curious boy she had known. As much as she hated to admit it she was scared of him, scared that he’d sink back into that again, scared that it really was her fault. 

She needed to clear her head. She needed to get these thoughts out. She couldn’t help him if she was scared of him. She stepped out onto her balcony, letting the morning chill cleanse her thoughts slightly. She took in a deep breath, repeating the process until she felt better. She needed to help him in order for him to be a reliable ally in Cassandra’s case. If she was going to help Varian with his trauma then she needed to know the source of it. 

She took in another deep breath,  _ she’d need to have a conversation with her father.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It sure would be a shame if Horace were to misinterpret Var’s notes...


	19. Turning Tables

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!!! I’m not dead!!! Apologies for leaving y’all for such a long time!! I’ve had a lot of stuff going on in my head and in my life! Some good some bad! Anyways I am finally here with another chapter!! I hope to start back to more frequent updates, but as some of y’all know I’ve been dragged to varigo hell and those boys be taking up a lot of head space! Once again I apologize for my absence and I’m sorry that this chapter is more or less a filler, but some things needed to be set up!! Enjoy!!!

Horace paced the floor of the library, what was he to do, what could he do? If he told his father he would probably lock her up with Cassandra. Maybe he could consult his mother, she would offer him the best advice, but he couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t tell his father. He wanted to talk to Rapunzel herself, let her explain, then again if he couldn’t trust her how would he know if she was telling the truth. His best bet was to wait for Varian to wake up and talk to him. He pulled up a chair, watching the fall and rise of the boy’s chest. He dragged a hand down his face, leg bouncing nervously, this was going to be a long morning. 

He lasted ten minutes, ten agonizing minutes, before pushing himself out of his chair and storming out the door. He couldn’t think properly on the book he was trying to study, not with Varian’s breathing tempting him to give into sleep, not with Rapunzel’s name clear on the paper taunting him, mocking him. It was a terrible back and forth between the book, Varian, and the paper. 

So he left, leaving the book, but keeping the paper. He made his way back towards his chambers, if he was lucky Lance would be up and he could talk to him. Of course it was just his luck that he would run into the one person he both desperately wanted to see, while he actively trying to avoid. “Hey, Blondie.” He greeted, tucking the paper into the band of his pants behind him. 

Rapunzel startled, eyes going wide, and taking a small step back. She pulled her hair in front of her, running a hand over the braids. “Oh, Horace, I wasn’t expecting you to be up so early. How was the sleepover?” 

“It was good. How did you sleep?” He hated how awkward he sounded. Things had never been awkward between him and Rapunzel, the note had changed that apparently. He wanted to slap himself, make himself wake up from this horrid nightmare that this stupid note had forced him into. Rapunzel’s voice pulled him from his misery for a second. 

“Good. I slept... fine.” Her voice seemed less than certain, wavering slightly as if she were hiding something. It did nothing to ease the uncertainty in his mind, still he was concerned for her first and foremost. 

“You okay, Sunshine?” He reached out to cup her face, but she turned away, eyes darting to the floor. He retracted his hand, pretending it didn’t hurt, pretending it didn’t cause a spike of distrust to spread through him. 

“Can I ask you something?” Rapunzel brought her eyes back up to his, her lips pursed into a frown. She seemed to relax when he nodded his head, hesitating as she opened her mouth and closed it again, a deeper frown etching into her normally soft features. “I wanted to know if it would be possible for me to visit my father.” 

Horace took a step back despite himself, his mind reeling with possibilities of why she would need to see her father. The logical reason was he was still her father even though he was a terrible one, Rapunzel was too caring, she probably wanted to check on him. She wasn’t like him in the slightest, so why did he feel the smallest hint of fear, the tiniest pinch of betrayal? “Why?” 

He flinched at the sound of his own voice, the tone harsher, accusing. He wasn’t surprised in the slightest when Rapunzel’s eyes narrowed just a hair. He cleared his throat, trying to force away all of his fears and doubts. “I mean, of course you can. I just need to talk it over with my parents, maybe get a guard to escort you.” 

“I kind of wanted it to be a private thing.” She was fiddling with the loose strands of her hair again, eyes dropping back to the floor. 

“I get that, but you have to understand why I can’t let you go alone. He’s a very dang-“ 

She dropped her hands to her sides, rolling her eyes in a very un-Rapunzel like way. “Yes, I know he’s dangerous, Horace! I have the first eighteen years of my life to prove that! I-I just need to know-“ She deflated in a second, any of her previous anger fading as her shoulders shook with oncoming sobs. “I need-I need to know he didn’t do the same things he did to me to Varian.” 

“I don’t-“ 

“You didn’t see him, Horace.” Her voice was barely audible, her arms wrapped around herself, eyes still downcast. “You didn’t see how broken he was. I’m-I- I need some air.” 

“Blondie, wait!” She slipped passed him, as he reached out, turning abruptly to grab her arm. The movement was fast, causing the paper to fall between them, falling gently to the floor, a literal wedge in their relationship. He didn’t notice it, neither did she. It slipped through his fingers just like Rapunzel did, just like she always seemed to do. He fully intended to follow her, poised to run after her, but he froze when his name was called out. 

“Horace.” He turned, facing his mother at the other end of the hall, her lips pulled into a frown. He wondered how much she saw, how much she heard. She didn’t say anything on the matter, simply stepping forward and offering him her arm. “We’ve come to a decision concerning your friend.” 

Horace nodded, linking his arm with his mother’s, casting a glance down the hallway where Rapunzel disappeared. He hoped she would be okay just a little longer. 

*****************

Cassandra paced frantically, mind going a mile a minute. She couldn’t be here, it wasn’t safe for anyone. She had been less than convincing when Rapunzel had talked to her, she had been her last hope, whatever punishment she was dealt wouldn’t be pretty. She knew it would be suspicious as hell, but she needed to get out and run as far away as possible. She gathered her courage, eyeing the sheets on the bed. It would be dangerous, sheets weren’t the safest rope, but she was all out of options at the moment. She stripped the sheets, working quickly to tie them together. Once she was satisfied she made her way to the balcony, tying an end tightly to the railing. She heaved the rest over the edge, it didn’t quite reach the bottom, the fall wouldn’t be harmful from the height, still she held her breath as she made her way down, just a small satchel with her belongings around her. She reached the end of the makeshift rope quickly, wincing as she dropped the rest of the way to the ground. Thankfully the guards were preoccupied with other things, making her escape all too easy. She hoped Rapunzel would get the note she left, she hoped she would be able to decode its hidden message, until then she would stay hidden. She would find a way to purge her mind of the demon, and she knew just where to start. 

*****************

Footsteps echoed harshly down the empty hallway of the castle, fingers brushing against the forgotten note on the floor. Regardless of the constant pain in their stomach, they bent down and picked up the note. A wide smile spreading across their lips as they read its contents, with faintly glowing green eyes, vines squirming beneath their skin. 

_“It would be quite unfortunate if this were to get into the wrong hands, don’t you think?”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y’all, y’all didn’t think we were done with Andrew so easily did you?


End file.
